Looking into taking some time off at some point to take my child to see its great grandparents, and grandparents if we’re lucky. However, it seems the law does not allow both parents to be on leave at the same time. It’s nice fathers have a right to it now, but it’s a shame there’s no provision for the whole family to spend some time together once a child is born past the 2 weeks for paternity.

Has anyone managed to convince their employer to allow them to have the time off with their partner still on maternity leave, or know the legality of it? I’ve got no problems taking it off as a combination of holiday and unpaid leave. We’re budgeting for it, but it would be nice to not have to take it as such.

Advice/experience gratefully welcomed.

No, but as you’ve said just take it as holiday (or unpaid).

<Adopts old man voice>

When each of my three were born I had to take a days holiday for each of their births.

<Normal voice now>

And tbh as an Employer I’d think you were taking the pi55 to even ask for it.

You are entitled to “parental leave” as well (not to be confused with “paternity leave”).

Parental leave is up to 18 weeks of UNPAID leave to be taken in whole weeks, no more than 4 weeks a year.

https://www.gov.uk/parental-leave/entitlement

And tbh as an Employer I’d think you were taking the pi55 to even ask for it.

Pesky employees asking for the leave they are legally entitled to 😀

Pesky employees asking for the leave they are legally entitled to

Notice his last sentence – he was asking for paid time off…

GrahamS, thanks very much for sharing that. I did not know that was an option!

@b r
Re-read the sentence and you’ll see it can be interpreted as showing I’m more interested in the leave than the pay. Additional Paternity Leave seems to only be available if the mother has returned to work. We want to take the time off together.

I just took Holidays, I suppose I could have taken it unpaid – but I never use all my paid leave anyway – partly I think because neither my boss or I know how much I get or indeed record how many I take – we work under a ‘don’t take the piss’ form of mutual agreement.

I’m sure it doesn’t work in my favour.

P.S. I found the best way to do it was to take 2 week paternity, go back to work for a few weeks and then take more time it just seemed to work better that way – Wife wanted me out from under to organise everything.

Your other half will still be accruing holiday even on maternity leave. With our first born she had 11 months off, went back for one day then had all the holiday she was entitled to and gave me the month of additional paternity leave (this is in addition to the 2 weeks paternity leave I had when he was born) so we were both off for those 4 weeks or so.

Hopefully going to be doing the same this September.