Bringing Paternity Rights to Light

19 May 2012

The lead up to any baby's birth is an emotional and exciting time with lots of things needing to be sorted before the big day. One item always near the top of that list is making sure the mum-to-be is comfortable and aware of her maternity rights, but about fathers?

As many dads-to-be are looking to become more involved in their child's life it's vital they know where they stand legally.

Traditionally it is mums who take on the main caring role for new babies, however increasing numbers of men want to take on a much more active role in their family's life and as a society we shouldn't be discouraging them.

Gone are the days when men were resigned to the fact that they would regularly have to miss bath time or putting their young children to bed because of fixed working hours. Now dads want to spend real quality time with their children.

Research highlights that children with actively involved fathers perform better at school, stay out of trouble, are healthier and can form better relationships in later life so it's extremely important that we encourage family men to build strong bonds with their children from the earliest possible stage.

However, when it comes to paternity rights most couples are simply not aware of what fathers are entitled to in terms of flexible working hours and even paid and unpaid paternity leave options. So what exactly are dads-to-be entitled to?

Every father who has at least 26 weeks' service with their employer by the 15th week before their baby is due is entitled to two weeks' paid paternity leave, at approximately £120 per week.

Expectant fathers need to tell their employer about their decision to take paternity leave by the 15th week before the due date. They may also take up to 13 weeks of unpaid leave until their child is five years old.

In addition to this statutory right many businesses now offer extra flexible working arrangements to fathers which can be requested by dads.

From April 2011 new mums will be eligible to transfer the second half of their year-long maternity leave to their partner in order to allow parents, who would prefer to, to share the main caring responsibility.

Northumberland residents can contact DAWN Advice for free support and advice on a range of family law issues, including paternity rights on 01670 785 500.