TradedocParental leave policy
A blank paternity and unpaid parental leave policy you can print and fill by hand. Or the faster option — fill it on your phone, signed and emailed before the lad's first shift. Tracks day-one paternity and unpaid parental rights under the Employment Rights Act 2025 (in force 6 April 2026).
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What it is
A combined paternity and unpaid parental leave policy. Paternity leave: up to two weeks paid at the statutory rate, taken in the 52 weeks after a child's birth or placement for adoption. Unpaid parental leave: up to 18 weeks per child to age 18, in blocks of one week (four weeks max per year). From 6 April 2026 both are day-one rights — no qualifying service.
UK legal requirement
Paternity Leave: Paternity and Adoption Leave Regulations 2002 (as amended), now a day-one right from 6 April 2026 under the Employment Rights Act 2025. Unpaid Parental Leave: Maternity and Parental Leave etc. Regulations 1999, qualifying-service barrier removed for new parents from 6 April 2026 by the Employment Rights Act 2025. Statutory Paternity Pay rate uprated annually.
Compliance status
This template tracks Employment Rights Act 2025 day-one rights (in force 6 April 2026). Our compliance radar crawls the publishing bodies every six hours — see the standards we build to today or the radar of what's coming next.
Engineer remains responsible for verifying compliance with the version applicable to their work. TradeDoc is a tool, not a regulator.
Who needs it
- ·Every UK employer of any size — including a sole trader hiring their first lad
- ·Construction firms whose workforce skews younger and more likely to be new parents
- ·Family-run businesses where the rights are routinely overlooked
- ·Hospitality and retail employers with high turnover and frequent first-day starts
What goes on it
Every mandatory field, in the order the inspector or auditor will check them.
Eligibility — paternity leave
Day-one right from 6 April 2026: any worker (employee class) expecting to be the father, partner, or nominated carer of a new baby or adopted child. Up to two weeks' leave; can be taken in one block of two weeks or two single weeks; must be taken in the 52 weeks after birth/placement.
Eligibility — unpaid parental leave
Day-one right from 6 April 2026 for parents (each parent has their own entitlement). Up to 18 weeks per child to the child's 18th birthday. Maximum four weeks in any year per child unless the employer agrees more. Taken in one-week blocks (with a different rule for disabled children's leave, which can be taken in days).
Notice from the worker
Paternity: 28 days' notice of the date leave is to start, with the right to vary the date once given. Unpaid parental: 21 days' notice. Notice in writing or by email; employer must confirm in writing.
Pay during paternity leave
Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) at the lower of the prescribed weekly rate or 90% of normal weekly earnings, for up to two weeks. Day-one right from 6 April 2026 — no qualifying-service barrier.
Pay during unpaid parental leave
Unpaid by statute. Some employers offer enhanced pay (full or part); be explicit either way. Continuity of service runs throughout; pension contributions continue.
Right to return
Return to the same job after paternity leave or unpaid parental leave of four weeks or less. After more than four weeks of parental leave, return to the same job 'or, where that is not reasonably practicable, a similar job on no less favourable terms'.
Postponement (parental leave only)
Employer can postpone unpaid parental leave by up to six months for genuine business reasons (cannot postpone leave taken immediately after birth or placement). Must give written reasons.
Continuity and protection
Service continues during leave. Worker is protected from detriment and dismissal connected to taking the leave. Discrimination in connection with parental status engages Equality Act 2010 s.18 (pregnancy and maternity).
Common mistakes on a hand-filled one
The small things that get picked up on audit, insurance review, or when the next engineer reads it.
- ✗Imposing a qualifying-service barrier on paternity or unpaid parental leave from 6 April 2026 — both are day-one rights, no service requirement
- ✗Treating two weeks' paternity leave as one combined block only — the worker can split it into two separate one-week blocks within the 52-week window
- ✗Refusing parental leave outright — the employer can postpone (subject to limits) but cannot refuse
- ✗Forgetting that pension contributions continue during paid paternity leave on the worker's actual pay (SPP)
- ✗Withholding the right to return to the same job after four weeks of parental leave — the rule is same-job for ≤4 weeks, similar-job-or-better only after 4 weeks
- ✗Mixing up unpaid parental leave (1999 Regs) with shared parental leave (2014 Regs) — different schemes with different rules
The faster option
Fill one on your phone in 2 minutes
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Frequently asked questions
What changes on 6 April 2026?+
Both paternity leave and unpaid parental leave become day-one rights. Pre-April 2026 paternity leave required 26 weeks' continuous service; unpaid parental leave required one year. From 6 April 2026 there is no qualifying-service barrier — a worker on day one can request and take both types of leave.
How much is Statutory Paternity Pay worth?+
The lower of the prescribed weekly rate (uprated each April) or 90% of the worker's normal weekly earnings, paid for up to two weeks of paternity leave. Check the current rate at gov.uk/paternity-pay-leave/pay.
Can a same-sex partner or adoptive parent take paternity leave?+
Yes. Paternity leave is available to the partner of the person giving birth or to the person not taking adoption leave. The right is gender-neutral — partner, husband, wife, civil partner, nominated carer all qualify.
What about shared parental leave?+
Separate scheme under the Children and Families Act 2014 — not affected by the day-one upgrade. Shared parental leave still requires 26 weeks' continuous service and a complex eligibility test. Most small employers find unpaid parental leave (the 1999 Regs scheme) simpler to administer and that is what this policy covers.
Can I postpone unpaid parental leave?+
Yes for genuine business reasons, by up to six months, with written reasons. You cannot postpone leave taken immediately after the birth or placement of a child, or leave already started. Postponement must be reasonable and not used to deny the right.
What happens if I refuse a request?+
The worker can complain to an employment tribunal under Reg 18 of the 1999 Regulations (parental leave) or under the paternity-leave regulations. Tribunal can award compensation; refusal also exposes the employer to detriment and discrimination claims connected to parental status.