Parent's leave

The Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 is part of the government’s "First Five" strategy, which aims to support young families during the first five years of a child’s life.  

Since April 2021, the Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 has allowed employees with infant children to take up to seven weeks' paid parent’s leave. This paid parent’s leave must be taken in a seven-week block or in separate blocks of no less than one week within the first two years of the child's birth or adoption.