Parental leave changes come into force today
The Maternity and Parental Leave (Amendment) Regulations come into force today, 10th January 2002, implementing two changes to the right to (unpaid) parental leave.
The first change applies only to parents of disabled children and increases the total leave available from 13 to 18 weeks.
The second change is to extend the entitlement to 13 weeks’ parental leave to parents of all children under five as at 15th December 1999. (Prior to this change, only parents of children born or adopted after 15th December 1999 were entitled to parental leave.) These parents have until 31st March 2005 to take their leave entitlement.
Employees are only entitled to take parental leave if they have one year's continuous service with the employer. However, with regard to the parents of children under five as at 15th December 1999, even if these parents do not have a year's service with their current employer they will still be entitled to parental
