Additional paternity leave – your questions answered

Can the father/partner only take the balance of the mother’s 52 weeks’ maternity leave?The terminology used when additional paternity leave (APL) was introduced put an emphasis on ‘sharing’ the maternity leave entitlement. In fact, the fathers’ or partners’ entitlement is a stand-alone right to between two and 26 weeks’ leave, which can be taken at any time between 20 weeks and 12 months after the baby is born. It is only indirectly related to how much leave the mother has taken. The mother could start her leave 11 weeks before the baby is born, and take her full 52-week entitlement before returning to work. There would still be at least 11 weeks before the baby’s first birthday during which the father/partner could take APL. According to the regulations, the mother doesn’t have to have any maternity leave left when she returns to work for the father to be entitled to APL.