Paternity leave allows an employee to spend time with a new child and support their partner.

An employee is eligible for one or two weeks of statutory paternity leave, provided that they are:

• The child’s father
• Married to, the civil partner or partner of the mother or birth parent (this includes same sex parents)

No minimum period of employment is required for statutory paternity leave where the baby is born on or after 6 April 2026 or was due on or after 5 April 2026. Statutory paternity pay still requires at least 26 weeks' continuous employment with the same employer up to any day in the 'Qualifying Week'.