Family-friendly rights and support

New and updated

• Type:

  Letters and forms

  Letter postponing period of ordinary parental leave

  Updated to reflect the introduction of a day-one right to ordinary parental leave, effective from 6 April 2026.

• Type:

  Letters and forms

  Letter to employee confirming that they are taking ordinary parental leave

  Updated to reflect the introduction of a day-one right to ordinary parental leave, effective from 6 April 2026.

• Type:

  Letters and forms

  Form for employee to make request for ordinary parental leave

  Updated to reflect the introduction of a day-one right to ordinary parental leave, effective from 6 April 2026.

• Type:

  Policies and procedures

  Ordinary parental leave policy

  Updated to reflect the introduction of a day-one right to ordinary parental leave, effective from 6 April 2026.

• Type:

  Policies and procedures

  Paternity leave policy (expected week of childbirth before 5 April 2026 and birth before 6 April 2026)

  Updated to reflect paternity leave and pay entitlements for employees covered by the rules before the day-one right takes effect on 6 April 2026.

• Type:

  Policies and procedures

  Paternity leave policy (expected week of childbirth from 5 April 2026 or birth from 6 April 2026)

  A model policy to set out employees' entitlement to paternity leave where the expected week of childbirth is on or after 5 April 2026, or the child is born on or after 6 April 2026 (even if the expected week of childbirth was before 5 April 2026).

• Type:

  Letters and forms

  Form to provide notice to take paternity leave (for births where transitional arrangements apply)

  A model form to provide notice to take paternity leave (for births where transitional arrangements apply).

• Type:

  FAQs

  In which circumstances is an employee entitled to receive statutory paternity pay?

  Updated to reflect that the Employment Rights Act 2025 removes the qualifying service requirement for statutory paternity leave, but not for statutory paternity pay.

• Type:

  Calculators

  Statutory maternity pay calculator

  Updated to include the weekly rate of statutory maternity pay effective from 6 April 2026. 

• Date:

  12 January 2026

  Type:

  News

  Day-one parental leave rights confirmed for April 2026

  Millions of workers previously denied time off for the birth of their child will become eligible for day one rights to parental leave from April, as ministers lay new regulations stemming from the Employment Rights Act 2025 before Parliament today (12 January).