Do Employers Have to Grant Parental Leave?

Parental leave allows working parents to take unpaid time off to look after their children or to make other care arrangements for them. Parental leave can help employees strike a balance between their work and family commitments. It is important for employers to note that they are not legally required to pay employees taking parental leave but they may opt to do so if they wish.

Under the Maternity and Parental Leave Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999, if an employee has a child under the age of 18 and has completed at least one year’s continuous employment where they work, they may qualify for parental leave. Each parent can take 18 weeks of unpaid parental leave for each child, up to the