What paternity and unpaid parental leave are employees entitled to?
Since 6 April 2026, eligible employees can take up to 2 weeks' paternity leave and up to 18 weeks' unpaid parental leave per child from their first day of employment. Statutory Paternity Pay is £194.32 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower, and still needs 26 weeks' service.
Paternity leave and pay
Fathers, partners (including same-sex partners), adopters and intended parents in surrogacy can take 1 or 2 weeks, together or as separate one-week blocks, within 52 weeks of the birth. Leave cannot start before the birth. Employees should give notice of the due date at least 15 weeks before, and 28 days' notice of when they want leave to start.
Statutory Paternity Pay (from 6 April 2026) is £194.32 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. To qualify, employees need 26 weeks' continuous employment up to the qualifying week (the 15th week before the due date) and average earnings of at least £129 a week.
Unpaid parental leave
Employees named on the birth or adoption certificate, or who have or expect to have parental responsibility, can take 18 weeks' unpaid leave per child up to the child's 18th birthday. Unless the employer agrees otherwise, it is capped at 4 weeks per child per year and taken in whole weeks (except for a disabled child).
Employees give 21 days' notice. Employers can postpone leave only for a significant business reason, must explain why in writing within 7 days, and must offer a new start date within 6 months. Leave cannot be postponed when a father or partner takes it immediately after the birth or adoption.
Bereaved partner's paternity leave
Since 6 April 2026, bereaved fathers and partners can take up to 52 weeks of paternity leave if the mother or primary adopter dies within the first year of the child's life.
The law
“he is entitled to at least two weeks' leave…”
“to be absent from work on parental leave for the purpose of caring for that child…”
Sources
- Paternity pay and leave · GOV.UK
- Unpaid parental leave · GOV.UK
- Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027 · GOV.UK
- Plan to Make Work Pay and Employment Rights Act: timeline update · GOV.UK
- Ordinary parental leave · Acas
General information for employers in Great Britain, not legal advice. Check the official sources for your situation.
- Day 1 rights to paternity leave and unpaid parental leave; bereaved partner's paternity leave
Future dates are expected dates and depend on Parliament.
What employers can do
- Remove service requirements for paternity and parental leave from policies and contracts.
- Keep the 26-week service test for Statutory Paternity Pay in payroll checks.
- Tell employees within 28 days, using form SPP1, if they do not qualify for Statutory Paternity Pay.
- Brief managers on the limited grounds for postponing parental leave.
- Add bereaved partner's paternity leave to family leave policies.
Related answers
- What is neonatal care leave and pay? Neonatal care leave lets eligible parents take up to 12 weeks off, from their first day of employment, when a baby born on or after 6 April 2025 enters neonatal care within 28 days of birth and stays for at least 7 consecutive days. Statutory Neonatal Care Pay needs 26 weeks' service.
- What bereavement leave must employers give? In Great Britain today, employees have a right to reasonable unpaid time off when a dependant dies, and to 2 weeks' parental bereavement leave if their child dies under 18 or is stillborn after 24 weeks. A wider right to bereavement leave, including for pregnancy loss, is expected from April 2027.
- What is changing under the Employment Rights Act 2025, and when? The Employment Rights Act 2025 is being brought in by phases. Day-one paternity and parental leave, sick pay changes and six-month tribunal time limits already apply. Next come the stronger harassment duties on 30 October 2026, a six-month unfair dismissal qualifying period from 1 January 2027 and fire and rehire protections in March 2027. Future dates remain subject to Parliament.