Parental leave and time off for dependants

Employees with children under the age of 18 years old are entitled to take periods of unpaid parental leave. The right to parental leave applies to male and female employees.

An employee must comply with certain qualification and notification requirements before taking this leave. However, you can agree with employees or their representatives to enhance these requirements where appropriate.

This guide sets out what an employee must do to qualify, and how you should deal with a request, including how you can postpone the leave, contractual issues during the leave period, and the employee's return to work. It also details how you might go about setting up a workforce agreement.

The guide also deals with the right to take time off to deal with emergencies involving dependants and looks at family-friendly ways of working.