Ordinary paternity leave and pay

What is Ordinary Paternity Leave (OPL) and pay?

Under the University's contractual scheme, employees who meet the qualifying conditions have a right to take two weeks' (10 days') OPL on full pay on the birth or adoption of a child. The leave must be used to provide care and support to the mother/primary adopter and/or the child and not for any other purpose. Full pay means the employee's normal full pay and includes any statutory paternity pay.

The leave can be taken between the date on which the child is born or placed with the adopter and 56 days after that date.

Only one period of leave is permitted even in the case of multiple births or adoption placements.

Leave must be taken in a single block and employees may choose to take either one or two weeks. It cannot be taken in individual days. Although there is no statutory entitlement to take two separate blocks of one week, your department has discretion to allow you to take your leave as two separate, one-week blocks, subject to operational needs.

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What notice do I have to give to take up the University's Ordinary Paternity Leave and Pay Scheme?

You must tell your department about your plans to take OPL at the latest during the qualifying week. You should complete the Paternity leave plan (109kb) and return it to your departmental administrator or equivalent in good time. If that is not possible (for example if the baby is born prematurely), then you should tell your department about your situation and complete the Plan as soon as is reasonably practicable. When you complete the Plan you will be asked to confirm:

(i) that your partner/spouse is pregnant, or is due to adopt a child;

(ii) the date of the expected week of childbirth or of adoption; and

(iii) when you want to start OPL. This does not to need to be a specified calendar date, and can be noted as 'the date of birth' or the 'date of placement' or a specified number of days after the birth/adoption; and

(iv) that you meet all the criteria.

If you subsequently decide that you wish to change the date on which the leave and pay begins you should give your department 28 days' notice of the new date, or as much notice as is reasonably practicable.

In the event that your baby is born early the notice periods may be waived (see below notes on miscarriage and still birth).

Once the birth or placement has occurred, you should also inform your department of the actual date of birth/placement, as soon as is reasonably practicable.

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What happens to my entitlement to OPL if my partner has a miscarriage or our child is stillborn?

In the sad event of a child being stillborn after the mother had reached her 24th week of pregnancy the employee is still entitled to Ordinary Paternity Leave and Pay (OPLP) provided he meets the eligibility criteria. If the still birth or miscarriage occurs before the 24th week, OPLP is not available, but departments should consider granting compassionate leave.

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Can I stay in touch with my department during periods of Paternity Leave?

During any paternity leave period, your department may make reasonable contact with you and, in the same way, you may make contact with your department. The frequency and nature of the contact will depend on a number of factors, such as the length of leave and the nature of your work. Departments and their employees will find it helpful, before paternity leave starts, to discuss arrangements for staying in touch. This might include agreements on the way in which contact will happen, how often and who will initiate the contact. It might also cover the reasons for making contact and the types of issues that might be discussed.

Your department should, in any event, keep you informed of any information relating to your employment that you would normally be made aware of if you were working.

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