When an employee is expecting to have a child, it is important to know what leave they are entitled to

  • With a range of leave options available for new parents, it is important to have the right policies in place with regard to family friendly leave.
  • In addition to ensuring you have the right policies, we can review existing policies and advise on the best processes to follow when an employee wishes to take family friendly leave.

What is family friendly leave?

Family friendly leave includes various types of leave provided by an employer to support an employee in their role as a parent, caregiver, or for other family-related reasons. This may include maternity leave, paternity leave, parental leave, adoption leave, and time off for dependents, among others. The exact nature of family friendly leave will depend on the particular country or region’s laws and the employer’s policies.

What are the different types of family friendly leave?

Both men and women now have a range of options when considering what type of leave they want to take when they have a child. These are:-

  • maternity leave;
  • paternity leave;
  • adoption leave;
  • parental leave;
  • shared parental leave; and
  • time off for dependants.

It is important that your company has clear policies in place that set out:-

  • which employees are entitled to which type of leave;
  • what process needs to be followed to enable the employee to take a specific type of leave; and
  • what an employee will be paid during the leave.

How can Moore Barlow help?

We can review your current policies or, if you don’t currently have policies in place, draft new policies on your behalf. We can discuss with you the different types of leave and how they fit together so you are fully informed should an employee ask you about what family friendly leave they can take.

We can explain the process that should be followed when an employee wants to take leave, including:-

  • what steps an employee needs to take to be able to take the leave; and
  • what an employee is entitled to be paid during this leave.

In addition, we can discuss with you whether you wish to enhance this pay and also consider various practicalities, such as when an employee would need to take any holiday that has accrued during their leave.

If you have any questions in relation to family friendly leave or would like any help drafting the relevant policies, please contact one of the team.

We have offices in London, Southampton, Lymington, Woking, Guildford and Richmond. Get in touch for specialist advice.