New employment legislation for April

A raft of new employment legislation coming into effect after Easter, including additional paternity leave and increases in statutory maternity, paternity and adoption pay.

A raft of new employment legislation coming into effect after Easter, including additional paternity leave and increases in statutory maternity, paternity and adoption pay.
From 6 April, dads will get a new right to additional paternity leave which allows them to take up to 26 weeks’ paternity leave in the first 12 months after their child is born. This will mean they can share the year’s maternity leave entitlement with the mother of their child, with the mother taking the first six months after the baby is born. They may be entitled to paternity pay if the mother has returned to work and has not used her full entitlement to paid maternity leave. 
The mother and father will, together, be entitled to statutory maternity pay (SMP)/statutory paternity pay (SPP) for 39 weeks. For example, if the mother takes 26 weeks’ ordinary maternity leave and forfeits her right to additional maternity leave, the father would receive SPP for the first 13 weeks of APL. However, although the legislation is being brought in April to allow employers to prepare for the changes, it will only apply to children due on or after 3 April 2011.
In addition, from 4 April, the standard rate of statutory maternity pay, statutory paternity pay and statutory adoption pay will increase from £123.06 to £124.88 a week.
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