Maternity, paternity and adoption rights
Resource summary
This factsheet was last updated in January 2011.
The context for maternity, paternity and adoption rights
Women employees have had statutory maternity rights for many years. Since April 2003, fathers and adoptive parents also have statutory rights to paternity leave and adoption leave. Paternity and adoption leave rights also apply to partnerships of the same sex, so references in this factsheet to father, male employee, men, he, him, etc, should be taken as including women in same sex partnerships.
In addition to maternity, paternity and adoption rights there has been an increasing recognition that all employees, not just those with children, need to achieve an acceptable work-life balance. Though not covered in this factsheet other important family-friendly measures should be remembered, including the right to unpaid parental leave, the right to time off for emergencies involving dependents and the right to request flexible working. See our factsheets on flexible working and hours of work and time off for more information on some of these issues.
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- The context for maternity, paternity and adoption rights
- Maternity rights
- Paternity rights
- Adoption rights
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