LAST UPDATED FEBRUARY 2024

MATERNITY, PATERNITY, ADOPTION AND SHARED PARENTAL LEAVE POLICIES

See our full policies here:

MATERNITY POLICY

PATERNITY POLICY

ADOPTION POLICY

SHARED PARENTAL LEAVE POLICY

ORDINARY PARENTAL LEAVE

The agency recognises that its people have family commitments and wants to be able to assist parents in balancing work and family life. This policy sets out your rights and responsibilities in regards to ordinary parental leave.

Ordinary parental leave gives parents of children under the age of 18 the right to take one or more periods of unpaid leave to look after a child or make arrangements for a child’s welfare.

QUALIFYING FOR PARENTAL LEAVE

You will qualify for Ordinary Parental Leave if:

• You have been continuously employed by the agency for one year at the time you want to take the parental leave and;
• You are either named on the child’s birth certificate or have (or expect to have) parental responsibility for the child.

ENTITLEMENT TO ORDINARY PARENTAL LEAVE

If you are the parent of a child under the age of 18, you are entitled to take up to 18 weeks unpaid parental leave during the first 18 years of your child’s life.

If you are an adoptive parent, you must take your parental leave by the 18th birthday of the adopted child, whichever occurs sooner.

If your child (adopted or not), has been awarded a disability living allowance, you are entitled to take 18 weeks of unpaid parental leave which is available to you at any time until your child reaches his/her 18th birthday.