Family leave rights at work in Northern Ireland

This page is about the leave itself. For the money, see maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental pay.

While you are pregnant

All pregnant employees are entitled to reasonable time off work for antenatal care. Any time off must be paid at your normal rate of pay.

You must tell your employer that you are pregnant at least 15 weeks before the beginning of the week when your baby is due. Your employer must also protect your health and safety while you are pregnant.

Maternity leave

For employees, Statutory Maternity Leave is 52 weeks: 26 weeks of Ordinary Maternity Leave and 26 weeks of Additional Maternity Leave.

You build up all your entitlements to paid holiday during your Statutory Maternity Leave. You can work up to ten days during your Statutory Maternity Leave without losing your Statutory Maternity Pay, Maternity Allowance or ending your leave.

If you are made redundant on Statutory Maternity Leave, you have the right to be offered any suitable alternative job in the company. If you wish to return earlier, for example, when your Statutory Maternity Pay ends, you must give at least eight weeks’ notice.

Paternity leave

To qualify for paternity leave, you must be an employee. To qualify for paternity leave, you must be working with your employer for at least 26 weeks. When the 26 weeks are counted to depends on whether you are having a baby or adopting.

Expectant fathers and partners, including same sex partners, have the right to unpaid leave to accompany expectant mothers to two antenatal appointments. The time off is capped at six and a half hours for each appointment.

After your Paternity Leave, you have the right to return to the same job, employment terms and conditions as if you hadn't been away.

Adoption leave

If you qualify, you have the right to 52 weeks of Statutory Adoption Leave. This also covers parents through surrogacy with a Parental Order.

You must let your employer know that you plan to take adoption leave. You need to do this within seven days of the adoption agency letting you know that you have been matched with a child.

Shared Parental Leave

You and your partner might be able to share leave in your child's first year. If you are a mother you must take a minimum of two weeks statutory maternity leave/pay or maternity allowance (4 weeks if you are a factory worker). The rest can then be shared.

Unpaid parental leave

If you have a child aged under 18, you may have the right to parental leave. To qualify, you must be an employee and have at least one year's continuous service where you work.

Each parent can take 18 weeks' parental leave for each child up to their 18th birthday. You must give your employer 21 days’ notice of when you want to begin your parental leave. You must take your leave in blocks of full weeks. If your child has a disability, you can take time off in blocks of less than a week, so you could use parental leave for regular hospital visits.

If you are self-employed, an agency worker or contractor, you aren't entitled to parental leave.

Time off for a family emergency

If you are an 'employee', you have the right to unpaid time off work to deal with emergencies involving a 'dependant'. You can take time off regardless of your length of service. When a dependant dies, you can take time off to make funeral arrangements and go to a funeral.

Flexible working

All employees who have been working continuously for 26 weeks are entitled to ask for a flexible working pattern.

Common questions

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