Parenting leave, when can it be taken?

salmocab

A colleagues wife is expecting and when he asked about the paternity leave when the child is born the manager said he has to take a punt on the date and if the baby is late that’s tough ( it is a job that cover would need to be organized for) I said that doesn’t sound right or reasonable. Anyone know where he stands really?

annoyedgal

Completly inaccurate! The leave can be taken anytime within 6 months of the birth of the baby.

robinph

You'd give the employer an estimate of when you expect to take the leave, but that can be changed.

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/employment_rights_and_conditions/leave_and_holidays/paternity_leave.html

For statutory paternity leave - yes they have to pick a date and notify in advance.

Having said that he can postpone it if the child hasn't arrived:http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2016/act/11/section/10/enacted/en/html#sec10
It would be a bit pointless to have two weeks paternity leave booked if the baby arrived two weeks late.

salmocab

He’s happy to notify in advance which he already has done, it was the you can’t change it bit. In fairness he was laughing to me saying that’s their problem not mine about having cover in for him.

robinph

Yep, it's the employers problem.

shesty

No that's ridiculous.He nominates a date, and then rings in on the day baby arrives and says book my next two weeks off as paternity leave (assuming he wants to take them from that point).Employer is just going to have to suck it up.It's two weeks.