Preloaded UK policy

Parental Leave Policy template

18 weeks unpaid leave per child up to age 18 — day-one right from April 2026 under the Employment Rights Act.

Legal basis
  • ERA 1996
  • Maternity and Parental Leave etc. Regulations 1999
  • Employment Rights Act 2025
Last reviewed April 2025. Guidance, not legal advice.

What the policy covers

  1. 1. ENTITLEMENT
    All employees are entitled to 18 weeks' unpaid parental leave per child, to be taken before the child's 18th birthday.
  2. 2. HOW LEAVE CAN BE TAKEN
    In blocks of one week (or a whole day at a time for a disabled child)
  3. 3. NOTICE
    Employees must give at least 21 days' written notice before the date they wish parental leave to start, stating the dates of the proposed leave.
  4. 4. POSTPONEMENT
    your company may postpone a request for up to 6 months where the operation of the business would be unduly disrupted (for example, during peak production or a major project).
  5. 5. PAY
    Parental leave is unpaid.
  6. 6. CONTINUITY AND RETURN TO WORK
    Parental leave does not break continuity of employment.
  7. 7. REVIEW
    This policy will be updated following the Employment Rights Act 2025 changes coming into force on 6 April 2026.

Who needs it

Any UK employer running rotas, leave and the day-to-day of employing people. These set out the rules once so nobody argues about them twice.

Questions people ask

Is a parental leave policy a legal requirement?

It rests on ERA 1996 and Maternity and Parental Leave etc. Regulations 1999 and Employment Rights Act 2025. Some policies must be written down once a business reaches a certain size or does certain work; others are simply how a tribunal, an inspector or a client's auditor expects to see that you have thought about it. A clear, dated, signed policy is the evidence either way. Guidance, not legal advice.

Can I change it to suit how we work?

Yes. Inside Work-Lynx it is a starting point: put your company name in, adjust the arrangements to what you actually do, set the review date and publish it. Staff read and acknowledge it on their phones, and you can see who has not.

Is it up to date?

Last reviewed April 2025. The pack is updated when the law moves, and every policy carries a review date so it does not quietly go stale.

How do I get it?

It is preloaded in Work-Lynx with the other 48 UK policies. Work-Lynx is £2.50 a month plus £1 per employee, 14 days free, no card, and what you see on the pricing page is the bill.

Who is it for?

Any UK employer running rotas, leave and the day-to-day of employing people. These set out the rules once so nobody argues about them twice.

All 49 UK policies, £2.50 a month

This policy and 48 others are already in Work-Lynx, alongside GPS clock-in, rotas, timesheets, leave and Employ AI for UK employment law. £2.50 base plus £1 per employee a month. 14 days free, no card, no sales call.

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