LRD guides and handbook April 2008

Leave and pay for working parents - a guide for union reps

Introduction (433 words)

Over the last 10 years, the government has introduced a wide range of measures aimed at helping working parents and carers balance their employment ...

1. Maternity rights (4644 words)

There are around 440,000 pregnant women in work each year and, despite a range of legal rights and health and safety protection, around half ...

2. Paternity leave (2260 words)

Fathers who qualify for paternity leave can take either one or two weeks’ paid leave within 56 days after the child’s birth. To qualify, ...

3. Adoption leave (1691 words)

Around 3,300 adoptions of children from local authority care took place in the year up to March 2007. While this represents a very small ...

4. Parental leave (1921 words)

Parental leave is a right to take time off work to look after a child or make arrangements for the child’s welfare. The right ...

5. Time off for dependants (931 words)

All working parents will, at some point, need time off at short notice to deal with a child’s illness or an accident, a breakdown ...

6. Flexible working (3413 words)

Parents of children under six and of disabled children under 18 have had the right to ask to work more flexibly since April 2003. ...

7. Career breaks (1002 words)

In addition to time off when a child is born or placed for adoption, some parents may also want a longer period of unpaid ...

Further information (308 words)

Acas, Brandon House, 180 Borough High Street, London SE1 1LW. Helpline: 08457 474 747. Tel: 020 7210 3613. www.acas.org.uk ...