Unpaid Parental Leave

Currently employees with at least one year’s service are entitled to take up to 18 weeks’ unpaid Parental Leave for each child and adopted child, up to their 18th birthday. From 6 April 2026 the service requirement will be removed and this will become a day one right. There’s no change to the current 21 days’ notice requirement. 

What do I need to do to get ready for these changes? 

For all clients who use Citation documents, we’ll be making the necessary changes to your documents during the weekend of 28/29 March in readiness for 6 April (employees will not be able to take the new entitlement before this date). You’ll receive an email in advance letting you know the new wording and an email from Atlas confirming when the changes have been made.  

Employee communications  

We’ve put together an example notification you can send out to your teams explaining: 

• who is now entitled to Paternity Leave and unpaid Parental Leave; 

• how much notice they need to give; and 

• who they should contact in your business to arrange leave. 

You can access the template here.