To be entitled to take paternity leave, an employee must:
- Have been employed by you for at least 26 weeks by 15 weeks before his partner’s due date.
- Be the father of the child, or the mother’s husband, civil partner or cohabiting partner (same sex partners are included).
- Have, or expect to have, responsibility for bringing up the child.
To take paternity leave, your employee will need to give you written notice by the end of the 15th week before the baby is due.
The notice should explain when the baby is due, and when he would like to take the leave. It can be taken when the baby is born or at a later date, but it must usually be taken within 56 days of the birth or, if the baby is early, 56 days of the due date.