DADS SET TO BENEFIT FROM ADDITIONAL PATERNITY LEAVE AND PAY
| Published: 17th May 2007 09:21 |
Employment Relations Minister Jim Fitzpatrick today set out new paternity leave proposals being developed by the Government. The proposals are designed to give working parents more choice in their caring responsibilities.
Publishing the latest consultation on the proposals, Mr Fitzpatrick said:
"We know that people want greater flexibility to better juggle their work and family life and that fathers increasingly want to play a bigger part in the upbringing of their children."
"If a mother wants to return to work before her child's first birthday, the father will be able to take some, or all, of the second half of the child's first year as paid paternity leave. For the first time ever, this will give parents the flexibility to divide a period of paid leave between them. Parents will be able to decide how to best balance work and family commitments.
"This consultation seeks views on how the administration of additional paternity leave and pay will work in practice. The Government wants to keep the process as straightforward as possible for both employees and their employers."
The consultation sets out proposals on the administration that will give fathers the opportunity to choose to take up to 26 weeks Additional Paternity Leave to care for their child if certain conditions are met, including the mother returning to work. In particular, the Government will be seeking feedback on the following:
- Whether the father and mother should be able to self-certify themselves as eligible for the scheme. This would keep the process straightforward for businesses.
- How the scheme will work best in practice, and whether checklists and new official forms would provide employers with the confidence to administer the scheme effectively and employees to participate in it.
