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Paternity leave

From April 6, fathers became entitled to paid paternity leave. If you are an employer, you should know who is entitled and what they are entitled to. A male employee can claim paternity leave if he has worked for the employer continuously for 26 weeks up to the 15th week before the baby is due to be born. The baby must be born on or after April 6 2003. The paid leave is 2 weeks to be taken within 56 days of childbirth, and the statutory paternity pay is £100 a week, or 90% of average weekly earnings if earnings are less than £100.

Of course, you can be more generous than the law requires, but that is now the minimum that a new father is entitled to.