New employees able to apply for Paternity Leave – temporary arrangement 18 February – 5 April 2026
Changes for a new employee whose baby is due on or after 5 April 2026
From 6 April 2026, employees will be eligible for Paternity Leave from their first day of employment following legal changes with the Employment Rights Act 2025.
To allow for this change, temporarily from 18 February 2026 until 25 July 2026, some employees will not need to give the usual 15 weeks notice of their baby’s due date.
A new employee will not have to give15 weeks notice if both of the following apply:
- their baby is due between 5 April 2026 and 25 July 2026
- they will have been employed for less than 26 weeks up to any day in the ‘qualifying week’
The ‘qualifying week’ is the 15th week before the baby is due.
They will still need to give 28 days notice of when you want your leave to start and if you want to take 1 or 2 weeks leave.
If the baby is due on or after 26 July 2026, both the usual notice periods will apply.
No change to Statutory Paternity Pay right
The new day one right to Paternity Leave does not include a day one right to Statutory Paternity Pay – the 26 week qualifying period of service is still required.
