Pillar Kincardine Policy  -  Parental Leave  -  Date of creation: 12 February 2003  -  revised 9 February 2010

Parental Leave

It is Pillar Kincardine policy to assist staff to strike a balance between work and family commitments, and to make them aware of their rights as employees.  The aim of Parental leave is to allow employees the opportunity to take time off work to care for a child.  Examples might include:

• spending more time with a young child
• being with a child while he or she settles into new childcare arrangements
• accompanying a child during a hospital stay

Entitlement

Parental leave (which is in addition to any entitlement to Maternity, Adoption, Paternity or Dependants leave) is available to Pillar Kincardine employees with at least a year’s continuous service.  This right entitles an employee, whether they are the natural or adoptive parent, to take a period of unpaid leave of

• up to 13 weeks (see Note) to care for a child under the age of five, or for an adopted child until five years after the date of adoption or until the child reaches 18, whichever is sooner
• up to 18 weeks (see Note) to care for a disabled child under the age of 18

Leave can only be taken in blocks of at least one week (see Note) up to 4 weeks’ maximum in one calendar year, unless the child is disabled, in which case the leave can be taken in single days, multiples of single days, or blocks of a week up to the 4 weeks’ maximum.

Note : One week’s parental leave is equal to the length of time that an employee is normally required to work in a week. This means that a week’s leave for a member of staff who usually works from Monday to Friday is equal to five days, while for an employee who works for example, Monday and Tuesday only, a week’s leave is equal to two days.  A single day within one week will be counted as one complete week, unless the child being cared for is disabled

Procedure

Employees wishing to take Parental leave must give the Service Manager at least 21 days’ notice. In the unlikely event that service needs so require, Pillar Kincardine reserves the right to postpone parental leave for up to 6 months, unless the leave is requested to coincide with a child’s birth or placement for adoption.  Any abuse of the right to Parental leave may result in disciplinary action.

Return

Employees will be entitled to return to the same job on terms and conditions no less favourable than those at the commencement of their Parental Leave.  No special notice of their return to work is required.

Pillar Kincardine Policy  -  Parental Leave  -  Date of creation: 12 February 2003  -  revised 9 February 2010