Millions of workers who were previously denied time off for the birth of their child will become eligible for new day one rights to parental leave from April, through measures being laid in Parliament today (Monday 12 January).
The changes, which stem from the recently passed Employment Rights Act, will see parents no longer be forced to make the heart-wrenching choice between being there for the first weeks of their child’s life or going back to work to avoid losing their job.
An additional 32,000 more dads per year will be able to access Paternity Leave immediately, as a mother would with maternity leave.
This comes as the Government continues its Parental Leave and Pay Review, which will assess the whole system – from maternity and paternity leave to shared parental leave – to see how it can work better for parents and employers.
Further information: