Unpaid parental leave policy

1. Policy Statement

The University understands that occasionally it may be necessary for a parent to take time off work to be with their children and every effort will be made to accommodate the timing of the request for unpaid parental leave.

Unpaid parental leave was provided for by the Employment Relations Act 1999 and is supplemented by the Maternity and Parental Leave Regulations 1999, as amended from 10 January 2002. Subsequently, this policy has been further amended in line with the Employment Rights Act 2025.

2. Scope 

Parents or adopters are able to take up to 18 weeks unpaid parental leave to care for their child. The minimum period of leave must be one week, and the leave must be in multiples of complete weeks with up to a maximum of 4 weeks leave in one year. Part-time staff are entitled to leave on a pro rata basis. Leave may be taken up until the child’s 18th birthday. The employee will maintain their employment rights, including those to continuity of service, while on unpaid parental leave.

3. Definitions

• Unpaid Leave: Weeks taken will be deducted from salary.
• ‘Week’: this is equal to a normal working week.

4. Entitlement

Staff are eligible to apply for unpaid parental leave from the first day of employment with the University.

This leave is available to all staff who have children under the age of 18 and who;

• Are named on the child’s birth or adoption certificate.
• Have legal parental responsibility for the child.

This leave does not cover staff who are foster carers, unless staff have secure parental responsibility through the courts.

If eligible, you can be entitled to;

• Up to 18 week’s unpaid leave for each child up to their 18th birthday
  
  • Please note, any leave taken with previous employers, will count towards the 18 weeks
• Can take up to 4 weeks’ per rolling year per child 
• This leave can start any time after staff’s children are born or placed for adoption, provided notice has been given, no less than 21 days prior to the leave being taken
• The leave must be taken in whole weeks, unless in exceptional circumstances

5. Additional Information

• Shared parental leave
• Adoption leave
• Carers leave
• Family leave – children and dependants
• Fertility treatment leave
• Flexible working
• Family leave
• Foster care
• Hybrid working
• Parental and paternity bereavement leave policy
• Annual leave
• Carers leave
• Surrogacy leave
• Neonatal care leave
• Maternity agreement
• Unpaid parental guide

Document information