Paternity Leave for Service Personnel

Paternity Leave You can take paid time off following the birth or adoption of a child. What’s it for? This benefit is designed to give Service personnel time to care for a newborn or newly adopted child, and to help support the child’s biological or adoptive mother.

What do I get? Service personnel are entitled to two weeks of Paternity Leave, which can be taken consecutively or as two separate weeks, provided that all Paternity Leave is taken within 56 days of the child’s birth or placement for adoption.

To claim Paternity Leave, the Service person must be the father of the child; the spouse, civil partner or partner of the mother or adopter; or in the case of a surrogacy arrangement, the intended parent.

Entitlement applies only to an adoption placement through a legally recognised adoption agency. It does not apply if you have arranged a private adoption, become a special guardian or adopted a stepchild.

When can’t I use this? Paternity Leave is not available in cases where you have already taken any Shared Parental Leave to care for your child. Paternity Leave must be taken before Shared Parental Leave. Neither will you be able to claim this benefit if you take advantage of the Armed Forces Occupational Adoption Leave Scheme

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