HomeInsightsNew 'father friendly' rights from 1 October

From next Wednesday, 1 October, expectant fathers (or alternatively the partner of a pregnant woman) will be entitled to take unpaid time off work to attend up to two antenatal appointments. This is another of the Coalition’s range of family focused employment laws which will culminate with next year’s shared parental leave requirements and the right to attend adoption appointments. A link to the BIS guide on the new right is set out below. It’s an interesting read – particularly the guidance on what to do if a man is an expectant father with two different women or what happens if the woman’s husband is not the father of the child! https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/351413/bis-14-1063-time-off-to-accompany-a-pregnant-woman-to-ante-natal-appointments-employer-guide.pdf From a practical perspective, the new requirement will likely require an update to your paternity policy. At our end, we’ll be updating our employment law handbook shortly to reflect the change.

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