Public and Commercial Services Union

Additional paternity leave

From April 2011 fathers and partners (including same sex partners) have the right to take up to 26 weeks additional paternity leave (APL). APL allows the father, or the partner of the mother, paid time off when their baby is born so that they can help to care for the baby or support the mother. It is also available for the partner of an adopting parent.

These changes affect babies due on or after 3 April 2011.

The guide to family-friendly legislation has been amended to include these new rights.

Guide to family-friendly legislation

This guide aims to pull together various information sources as a means to assist reps to provide comprehensive guidance to members on family-friendly and related issues, which can be provided to the member whether they are in work or at home.

It will cover pregnancy, time off during pregnancy, leave and pay rights, health and safety, returning to work, childcare, parental and adoption leave, union support, plus a useful list of contacts and electronic links to various legislation and information sources which formed the basic research for the guide.

Since the guide covers an ever-changing subject it is not intended to issue in hardcopy but it can be accessed and if necessary downloaded from the equality section of the PCS DWP group website. Members or reps who are unable to access this from the website can request a hardcopy of the document from PCS group office.

Important information

To receive the full extent of her statutory and negotiated rights which are covered in the guide an expectant mum must tell her employer that she is pregnant, preferably as soon as possible, both so that she can claim her statutory rights and because the employer is required to carry out a health and safety risk assessment.