From 6 April 2026, employees became entitled to Paternity Leave and Unpaid Parental Leave from their first day of employment.
Previously, employees generally needed:
- 26 weeks’ continuous employment to qualify for Paternity Leave; and
- one year’s continuous employment to qualify for Unpaid Parental Leave.
Both qualifying periods have now been removed. Paternity Leave can also now be taken after Shared Parental Leave, which was not previously permitted.
Importantly, the change relates to Paternity Leave, not necessarily Paternity Pay. Employees must still meet the separate eligibility requirements for Statutory Paternity Pay, including the relevant continuous-employment requirement.
What should employers do?
Employers should update their family leave policies, HR procedures and manager guidance to remove outdated service requirements and ensure requests from new employees are handled correctly.
Further information: GOV.UK – Paternity and parental leave changes
