Adoption

An employee who will be the principal carer for the adopted child is entitled to take up to 52 weeks adoption leave which is a statutory right for adoptive parents following the adoption of a child. Adoption leave can begin on either:

• the date of the child’s placement
• from a fixed date up to 14 days before the expected date of placement.

Where the adoption placement date is on or after 5 April 2015, please see Shared Parental Leave section.

In surrogacy cases, the “primary” adopter would request to take adoption leave and then end the adoption leave in order to request shared parental leave.

In the case of a multiple adoption, only one period of ordinary adoption leave can be taken.

Where the placement is “disrupted” i.e. ends for any reason during Adoption Leave, the employee will be entitled to remain absent on adoption leave and pay, if applicable, for up to 8 weeks after the end of the week in which the placement ends.

Employees taking adoption leave, have similar rights to those enjoyed by women taking maternity leave.