Employer Paternity Leave Policy

Employer paternity leave policy template

Policy brief & purpose

Our Paternity leave company policy outlines our provisions for employees who are going to become fathers either through the birth or the adoption of a child.

Our company endorses the rights of its employees to become parents, regardless of gender. We have established a policy to help new fathers fulfill their new parental duties. This policy aligns with and reinforces work/life balance initiatives we take to support our employees.

We will offer at least the minimum benefits mandated by law. This policy is complementary to the existing local and national legal guidelines.

Scope

This policy applies to all employees who are new parents and identify as male.

Policy elements

What is the employer paternity leave policy?

Paternity leave is a temporary absence from an employee’s position following the:

• birth,
• adoption or,
• foster care placement of a child.

Who is eligible for paternity leave?

• All eligible employees (both part-time and full-time) can request paternity leave after they have been employed by our company for at least [one year.] We will approve all requests for paternity leave without discriminating against employees with protected characteristics.
• Employees cannot use paternity leave before the birth or adoption of a child. We may make exceptions and provide time-off, in case an employee needs to attend prenatal or adoption-related appointments.
• Employees qualify for paternity leave as both primary and non-primary caregivers.
• Surrogacy arrangements are also included in the context of this policy.

Eligible employees may take their paternity leave within the first [ten weeks] of the birth or adoption of their child.

The amount of time off work that we grant to fathers depends on the jurisdiction our company operates under. The legal limit of paternity leave may span from [one to twelve] consecutive weeks. Whether the time off will be fully/partially paid or unpaid, depends also on legislation and our company’s discretion.

Eligible employees may request to extend their leave for up to an additional [three-week period] subject to approval of their supervisor and our HR department. While on paternity leave, we will maintain employees’ position, regular pay and benefits.

When employees need to take time off for the general care of a child who is under eighteen years old, they may use their accrued time off unless otherwise specified in legislation.

Procedure

To get a paternity leave, please follow this procedure:

• Submit a formal, written request for paternity leave to his supervisor and/or HR department, mentioning:
  • the date of expected birth or adoption;
  • the starting date of the leave and;
  • the ending date of the leave

Please submit your request at least [three weeks] in advance.

• Submit any relevant formal documents that HR requests (e.g. certification of partner’s pregnancy) as soon as possible.

Once HR receives this request, they will:

• Review the request and determine the employee’s eligibility for paternity leave.
• Notify the employee for his eligibility status and the amount of leave he is entitled to.

Unforeseen circumstances

Employees begin their paternity leave at the specified date unless their child is born early. In these cases, please notify us as soon as possible to be able to begin your leave on the day of birth.

To extend your leave, please send a formal extension request at least [one week] before the end of your leave.

Alternate arrangements, such as working part-time instead of taking full leave, must be in writing and agreed upon by both employee and employer.

When your leave is over, you must return to work. If you decide not to return, please submit your resignation notice as soon as possible.

Further reading

• Family and Medical Leave – US Dept. of Labor
• Paternity Pay and Leave in the UK
• Paternity leave duration per country – International Labour Organization