Extended Maternity Leave

Newbie20

Just to make sure I’m right here. My wife is expecting in a couple of weeks. I’ll be getting 2 weeks paid paternity leave and then additionally can take up to 5 weeks parents leave? But this is only €245 or something like that a week?

bee06

Newbie20 wrote: »

Just to make sure I’m right here. My wife is expecting in a couple of weeks. I’ll be getting 2 weeks paid paternity leave and then additionally can take up to 5 weeks parents leave? But this is only €245 or something like that a week?

For now you can only take 2 weeks paternity and 2 weeks parents leave as the additional 3 weeks parents leave has only just been announced. It will be legislated for as part of the next budget. Parents leave is a statutory payment of 245.

FastFullBack

Newbie20 wrote: »

Just to make sure I’m right here. My wife is expecting in a couple of weeks. I’ll be getting 2 weeks paid paternity leave and then additionally can take up to 5 weeks parents leave? But this is only €245 or something like that a week?

I'd say the €245 is probably the same for paternity and parents. For the 2 weeks paternity leave your company probably top up your salary so you get paid fully. If they do the same for parents leave then great, you'll get 7 weeks total paid leave.

shesty

I expect once the budget comes out it will be clearer. Right now it is not all that clear. Seeing as they now have maternity leave, parental leave, paternity leave and parent's leave.
They need to do some consolidation among them all instead of completely confusing matters.

Millem

shesty wrote: »

I expect once the budget comes out it will be clearer. Right now it is not all that clear. Seeing as they now have maternity leave, parental leave, paternity leave and parent's leave.
They need to do some consolidation among them all instead of completely confusing matters.

I think they should just call Parents’ Leave paid parental leave.
The unpaid parental leave is getting increased in September too to 26 weeks
I also wish (if you worked for separate employers) you could transfer unpaid parental leave.

5starpool

Newbie20 wrote: »

Just to make sure I’m right here. My wife is expecting in a couple of weeks. I’ll be getting 2 weeks paid paternity leave and then additionally can take up to 5 weeks parents leave? But this is only €245 or something like that a week?

I'm a little late to this thread but there seems to be a bit of confusion. It's fairly straightforward though.

Essentially every parent is currently entitled to the following since 1st Nov 2019:

Mothers: 26 weeks maternity (there are rules on when this must be taken with slight differences for premature births) + 2 weeks parents leave (to be used before the child is 1 year old)
Fathers: 2 weeks paternity leave (to be used before the child is 6 months old) + 2 weeks parents leave (to be used before the child is 1 year old)

After budget 2021 it seems there will be an additional 3 weeks parents leave for all children born after 1st Nov 2019, to be used before the child is 2 years old.

The rate for all of the above, for all workers (employed and self employed) is 245 a week. It is up to all employers (public and private sector) to decide whether they top those rates up to full pay. They don't have to, but they do have to allow the employee to take the time off. Thankfully my private sector employer does top it up (I'm a father and my second child was born in mid November) and I have taken my paid paternity leave, and am taking my paid parents leave in a month. I will take the additional 3 weeks in 2021, whether my employer tops up the pay or not, although I suspect they will.

Anyone who says they'd "be laughed out of it" (as I saw at least one poster on this thread say) by their employer either just doesn't want the time, or don't want to only take the reduced pay if their employer doesn't top it up, which is fair enough. The employee is entitled to the time though if they give the appropriate notice, and the employer has to agree.

5starpool

titan18 wrote: »

Don't have a child but I know my teammates tend to take it as extension of holidays around Christmas time, school breaks etc, which seems fine to me. Finishing a week earlier at Christmas and so on.

Just to point out that this is almost certainly parental leave, not parents leave. Parental leave is an older entitlement, is currently 22 weeks per child until they are 12, and is fully unpaid. Again there are rules on how you have to apply for this.

lunamoon

5starpool wrote: »

Anyone who says they'd "be laughed out of it" (as I saw at least one poster on this thread say) by their employer either just doesn't want the time, or don't want to only take the reduced pay if their employer doesn't top it up, which is fair enough. The employee is entitled to the time though if they give the appropriate notice, and the employer has to agree.

Have to disagree with this. Of course they are entitled to take it and no employer will say no. However, I've seen first hand fathers being removed from projects etc when they say they are taking 4 weeks off. Realistically it's not something most want to do/take because of the ramifications of taking 4 weeks off.

Lizardlegz

lunamoon wrote: »

Have to disagree with this. Of course they are entitled to take it and no employer will say no. However, I've seen first hand fathers being removed from projects etc when they say they are taking 4 weeks off. Realistically it's not something most want to do/take because of the ramifications of taking 4 weeks off.

Absolutely. My husband is an amazing dad and an amazing husband (sometimes, lol). But he has massive accounts and if he didn’t turn up for work for 4 weeks when he only down the road his work wouldn’t be happy and neither would his accounts which he could potentially end up losing if something happened while he was off. Sure, they can get people to “try” and cover for him. But unfortunately for me.... he’s not a “replaceable” worker that can just be covered for in his absence.

Bobsammy

Lizardlegz wrote: »

Absolutely. My husband is an amazing dad and an amazing husband (sometimes, lol). But he has massive accounts and if he didn’t turn up for work for 4 weeks when he only down the road his work wouldn’t be happy and neither would his accounts which he could potentially end up losing if something happened while he was off. Sure, they can get people to “try” and cover for him. But unfortunately for me.... he’s not a “replaceable” worker that can just be covered for in his absence.

What would they do if he was a woman? They'd replace him as they'd have no choice.

It drives me mad the idea that a man is irreplaceable. Nobody is irreplaceable. It needs to become normal for new fathers to take the leave they're entitled to and employers will need to start factoring it in to their working practices. A new father is now entitled to 7 weeks leave during the first year, that's not including the unpaid parental leave. It should be easy for them to take it. And they should be protected in the same way a woman is while she is on maternity leave, they shouldn't be disadvantaged on their return.

Lizardlegz

Bobsammy wrote: »

What would they do if he was a woman? They'd replace him as they'd have no choice.

It drives me mad the idea that a man is irreplaceable. Nobody is irreplaceable. It needs to become normal for new fathers to take the leave they're entitled to and employers will need to start factoring it in to their working practices. A new father is now entitled to 7 weeks leave during the first year, that's not including the unpaid parental leave. It should be easy for them to take it. And they should be protected in the same way a woman is while she is on maternity leave, they shouldn't be disadvantaged on their return.

I agree... and we can give out about the inequality all we like but the fact is it’s there whether we like it or not. He’s built up his accounts over years and the fact of the matter is... if he had been having 4 babies like myself Over the last 7 years (so that would be between 2-4years off total on mat leaves) he wouldn’t have built up such large accounts... so therefore could afford to take more time off than he can now due to this...

And while technically he could take the time off his bosses wouldn’t look favourably on it.

Cakerbaker

The parents and paternity leave don’t have to be taken together. So dads can take 2 different 2 week periods if they want / if they feel like they can’t take a month off. It doesn’t have to be a block if 4. Not sure how the 5 weeks of parents leave will be able to be split though.

bee06

Lizardlegz wrote: »

I agree... and we can give out about the inequality all we like but the fact is it’s there whether we like it or not. He’s built up his accounts over years and the fact of the matter is... if he had been having 4 babies like myself Over the last 7 years (so that would be between 2-4years off total on mat leaves) he wouldn’t have built up such large accounts... so therefore could afford to take more time off than he can now due to this...

And while technically he could take the time off his bosses wouldn’t look favourably on it.

It’s a reckless attitude by the business in my opinion not to have cover plans for key workers. It’s not just about time off like parental leave. People get sick, are in accidents. Its in the companies interest for him to be replaceable.

Bobsammy

Lizardlegz wrote: »

I agree... and we can give out about the inequality all we like but the fact is it’s there whether we like it or not. He’s built up his accounts over years and the fact of the matter is... if he had been having 4 babies like myself Over the last 7 years (so that would be between 2-4years off total on mat leaves) he wouldn’t have built up such large accounts... so therefore could afford to take more time off than he can now due to this...

But men need to start insisting. It's up to them to make it the norm by taking the leave and not allowing their employer to influence them. The change has to start with the individual.

But the simple truth is many men (and I'm not referring to your husband who I don't know) simply couldn't be bothered and make excuses.

If their employer doesn't like it, tough. If enough men do it they'll learn to manage it.

Lizardlegz

Cakerbaker wrote: »

The parents and paternity leave don’t have to be taken together. So dads can take 2 different 2 week periods if they want / if they feel like they can’t take a month off. It doesn’t have to be a block if 4. Not sure how the 5 weeks of parents leave will be able to be split though.

Yep and this he could do. I just wanted him to take the month! Lol

shesty

Bobsammy wrote: »

If their employer doesn't like it, tough. If enough men do it they'll learn to manage it.

This is the key sentence.
Also it's only 4 weeks.Out of all the years.Nobody is indispensable.
Sorry, not having a dig at you lizardlegz, just the situation in general!

lunamoon

I agree that there needs to a shift in attitude towards men taking time off. Like Bobsammy's said, if it was a woman they'd find a way to cover it.

Lizardlegz

shesty wrote: »

This is the key sentence.
Also it's only 4 weeks.Out of all the years.Nobody is indispensable.
Sorry, not having a dig at you lizardlegz, just the situation in general!

See he already took 5 weeks off before Covid to go to Australia. It was his first time in 8 years. And even then he needed to take calls. It wouldn’t be looked on favourably (entitled to take it or not) to take another 4 weeks in the same year.

They will cope for the 2 weeks parental but weeks no.

lazygal

Lizardlegz wrote: »

I agree... and we can give out about the inequality all we like but the fact is it’s there whether we like it or not. He’s built up his accounts over years and the fact of the matter is... if he had been having 4 babies like myself Over the last 7 years (so that would be between 2-4years off total on mat leaves) he wouldn’t have built up such large accounts... so therefore could afford to take more time off than he can now due to this...

And while technically he could take the time off his bosses wouldn’t look favourably on it.

If he was unable to work tomorrow they'd find a way to get on with things.
We had several retirements of long standing staff over the past year. Well liked, well thought of hard working people.
They were all replaced with new staff who are perfectly capable of doing the job. The retirees are mentioned very occasionally in passing. Unless you own the business 100% you're just a replaceable employee no matter how valuable or essential you or the organisation perceives you to be.