Ordinary Parental Leave
Every employee who is the parent of a child aged under 18 can take up to 18 weeks' unpaid Ordinary Parental Leave (OPL). They can take this before, or on the date of, the child's 18th birthday.
OPL is distinct from shared parental leave.
Eligibility
To qualify for OPL, employees must complete one year's continuous service with us.
Parents may take part of their OPL with one employer and then change employer. However, they may not take the rest of their OPL until they have worked for their new employer for at least one year.
We may ask for evidence of the amount of OPL already taken with one or more previous employers.
Notification requirements
Employees must give 21 days' written notice of the intended dates to take leave.
Managers can postpone the leave for up to six months if the business would face significant disruption.
Managers cannot postpone the leave when the employee wishes to take it immediately after a child is born or is placed with a family for adoption.
Employees wishing to take OPL should always discuss it this with their manager first.
Leave entitlement
Qualifying employees can take up to 18 weeks' OPL up until the child's 18th birthday.
The right to a period of unpaid parental leave is available in respect of each child. For example, if an employee has two children under 18, they may take 18 weeks' unpaid parental leave in respect of each child.
Employees must take OPL in blocks or multiples of 1 week. Parents of disabled children can take leave in blocks or multiples of one day.
Employees can take a maximum of four weeks' OPL in one year in respect of an individual child.
During OPL, employees will remain employed, although we will suspend pay and most contractual benefits. However, the right to accrue statutory holiday entitlement will remain in place.
During parental leave, employees are entitled to:
- the implied obligation of trust and confidence
- any terms and conditions of employment relating to:
- notice of termination
- disclosure of confidential information
- the acceptance of gifts or other benefits
- participation in any other business