Ways of working

As a pregnant parent, colleagues can take up to 52 weeks leave with full salary for the first 8 weeks and half salary for the next 8 weeks (inclusive of any statutory sick pay). This also includes paid time off to attend antenatal appointments.

This policy applies no matter how long you’ve worked here or how many hours you work.

On the birth of a child, colleagues are entitled to paternity/non-pregnant parent leave with 2 weeks full salary including paid time off to attend up to two antenatal appointments.

In an adoption case or a fostering for adoption case, adoption leave is available for up to 52 weeks, including 4 weeks full salary paid leave.

Shared parental leave provides flexibility to share the care of a new child with a child’s other parent during the child’s first year.

If both parents are eligible, they will be able to choose how to split the available leave and can decide to be off work at the same time or at different times.

Losing someone close to you or learning that they’re seriously ill can be very difficult, so we want everyone to ask for the support they need and will always handle things as sensitively as possible.

Time off is the least we can do. But we’d like to go further than this, so colleagues are able to talk to their managers about what’s happened and agree what kind of support they need, including any paid leave.

We’ll give any parent who loses a child under 18 at least 2 weeks’ full paid leave – it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been with us.

This includes colleagues who experience a still-birth from 24 weeks, adoptive parents, foster parents, intended parents under a surrogacy agreement and anyone who looks after a child day-to-day.

If something unexpected has happened that means a colleague needs to leave work to support a loved one, they are encourage to speak with their manager as soon as they can.

Emergency time off is usually for no more than a day - if you need a little longer to make arrangements for the support you need, further discussions with your manager can be had.