The newly introduced Paternity Leave Amendment Regulations 2024 enable fathers or partners to divide their statutory paternity leave entitlement into two separate weeks, offering greater flexibility for new parents.
This regulation applies to all cases where the expected week of childbirth or adoption occurs on or after 6 April 2024, allowing leave to split across the first year following the child’s birth or adoption.
Previously, for children born before 6 April, the legislation permitted fathers or partners only to take a single, uninterrupted period of one or two weeks’ leave within the initial eight weeks post-birth.
This adjustment marks a considerable shift towards more adaptable family support measures.
Additionally, the updated rules reduce the notification period for each leave segment to 28 days, or four weeks, from the previous 15 weeks ahead of the expected week of childbirth, simplifying the process for employees and payroll departments alike.
Alongside these paternity leave adjustments, other family-oriented regulations are set to come into effect on 6 April across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These include enhanced redundancy protections for new parents, carer’s leave, and the right to request flexible working from the commencement of employment.
If you would like to know more about these changes, please contact our payroll team today.