Parental leave

You have a legal entitlement to Parental Leave at any time up until your child's 18th birthday. The Parental Leave entitlement is subject to a maximum of eighteen weeks’ unpaid leave for each child.

Entitlement to Parental Leave is based on two factors. Firstly, you must have been continuously employed for one year at the time of commencing the leave, and secondly, you must be expected to have responsibility for the child.

Parental Leave must be taken in blocks or multiples of one week, except where you are the parent of a disabled child, when you can take the leave in blocks or multiples of one day. In all of these cases the Parental Leave is for a maximum of four weeks for each child in any one year. Any leave taken which is less than one week, except in the case of a disabled child, will count as one week.

You must give at least twenty-one days’ notice of your intention to take Parental Leave. The request for Parental Leave, except for leave immediately after the child is born or placed with the family for adoption, can be postponed for up to six months where Studio 24 believes the business would be particularly disrupted if the leave was taken at the time requested by you.