Parental leave

bri007

Hi all,

My partner is expecting a baby in September and I have been planning ahead.

I work in the public sector, I asked my manager about taking the two weeks parental leave and she said that is ok and I can take it whenever I want once I give her a bit of notice. Fair enough.

I also asked about taking up the opening of unpaid parental leave in the form of one full day a week off or a half day a week all unpaid. She said no as they are too busy..... is this down to managers discretion? I have been looking up citizen information etc but can’t figure out if this is optional of the employer or is in law and the employee has a right to take it.

I am just a bit confused. I know the 2 weeks one is paid in the form of social welfare payment.... I am not looking for any payment to be honest as I have budgeted ahead for this but I would like some time off if I can when child is born.

Thanks

Dav010

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/employment_rights_and_conditions/leave_and_holidays/parental_leave.html

Check paragraph “How can I take parental leave”.

drunkmonkey

Wait until a lot closer or after until you firm up any days you never know how it's going to go. If you end up in a C section you might not need to take holidays until a week after the birth or so if they hold her in hospital.

Love2love

Parental leave can be taken in 1 continuous period or 2 blocks of a minimum 6 week period. They don’t have to facilitate the request for 1 day per week but some organisations do so maybe check your company’s policy on it. Denying your request could be for the based on the business need or could be the work pattern that you’ve requested.

The manger can postpone it for up to 6 months for business need (occasionally twice depending on seasonal requirements) but as your request has not be in writing using the formal channels - yours hasn’t been official postponed. This may seem trivial now but should you want to take it in the future, the request can be pushed out again.

Parent’s leave is the 2 weeks leave paid by DEASP and there is current discussion in the Dail on giving an additional 3 weeks due to Covid. This can be taken anytime in the first year but has to be taken as a 2 week period or 2 1 week period. If your company has a HR department, maybe you can reach out to them for guidance?

bri007

Thanks for the reply.

So I can apply in writing and my manager can still refuse if she wished?

Apart from the standard two weeks and possible extended 3 weeks that’s all I’ll be entitled to unless manager or service allows for unpaid leave?

Sorry for all the questions just a bit loss with it all and I don’t want to rock the boat with my manager. I took it as a form no when I asked her so not sure it will work one way or the other.

Love2love wrote: »

Parental leave can be taken in 1 continuous period or 2 blocks of a minimum 6 week period. They don’t have to facilitate the request for 1 day per week but some organisations do so maybe check your company’s policy on it. Denying your request could be for the based on the business need or could be the work pattern that you’ve requested.

The manger can postpone it for up to 6 months for business need (occasionally twice depending on seasonal requirements) but as your request has not be in writing using the formal channels - yours hasn’t been official postponed. This may seem trivial now but should you want to take it in the future, the request can be pushed out again.

Parent’s leave is the 2 weeks leave paid by DEASP and there is current discussion in the Dail on giving an additional 3 weeks due to Covid. This can be taken anytime in the first year but has to be taken as a 2 week period or 2 1 week period. If your company has a HR department, maybe you can reach out to them for guidance?

Dav010

bri007 wrote: »

So I can apply in writing and my manager can still refuse if she wished?
.

“How can I take parental leave?

From 1 September 2019, you are entitled to 22 weeks parental leave. You can take this leave as:

•One continuous period of leave or

•2 separate blocks of a minimum of 6 weeks each

•If your employer consents, broken into working days and/or hours“


The third point would seem to be relevant.

cdeb

bri007 wrote: »

I work in the public sector, I asked my manager about taking the two weeks parental leave and she said that is ok and I can take it whenever I want once I give her a bit of notice. Fair enough.

Do you mean parental leave or paternity leave? They're two different things. Paternity leave is two weeks, which is why I think you might have the name mixed up.

Paternity leave info is here.

bee06

OP you get 2 weeks paternity leave plus 2 weeks parents leave at the moment (paid at statutory rate) with proposal to extend parents leave by another 3 weeks at the next budget.

Parental leave question has been answered above then I think.

bri007

Thanks all,

Sorry I got that mixed up. Thanks for all your help.

bee06

bri007 wrote: »

Thanks all,

Sorry I got that mixed up. Thanks for all your help.

They’ve made it unnecessarily complicated with all the different types really!

GalwayGrrrrrl

Parental leave can also be used when the child is older. It might be worth saving some to cover school holidays. That’s when I found mine the most useful as it’s hard to get summer camps for 8/9 weeks and most are only a few hours per day.

stinkbomb

bee06 wrote: »

They’ve made it unnecessarily complicated with all the different types really!

No they haven't. Parental leave can be taken by either parent. Paternity leave is for fathers only. The types are not interchangeable so by definition they have tobe seperate.