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Home > Resources > HR compliance > Absence management > Ordinary parental leave
A person standing in a softly lit bedroom, holding a newborn baby near a slanted window with warm natural light filling the room.

Ordinary parental leave

A guide to the statutory right to ordinary parental leave, explaining eligibility, procedures for taking leave and employee rights during and after leave.

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By Jo Broadbent

This guide explains the statutory right to ordinary parental leave, including the procedures to take leave and employees’ rights during and after a period of ordinary parental leave.

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  • Right to ordinary parental leave
  • Eligibility for ordinary parental leave
    • Evidence of parenthood
  • Procedures for taking ordinary parental leave
    • Collective or workforce agreement
    • Fallback ordinary parental leave scheme
  • Employee rights and obligations during ordinary parental leave
  • Return to work after ordinary parental leave
  • Records
  • Remedies and penalties
    • Refusal to grant ordinary parental leave
    • Dismissal and victimisation
  • Future developments
    • Day-one right to ordinary parental leave
    • Review of parental leave and pay

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Latest updates

Updated to reflect that the day-one right to ordinary parental leave will come into force on 6 April 2026.

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About the author

Jo Broadbent

Counsel Knowledge Lawyer, Hogan Lovells

Jo Broadbent is a counsel knowledge lawyer in the employment team at law firm Hogan Lovells. In addition to keeping clients and the team up to date with legal developments, she has extensive experience of developing and presenting internal and external client training courses and workshops.

Jo is a former chair of the Employment Lawyers Association training committee. She is a co-author of the book “Informing and consulting employees: the new law” and frequently writes articles for the HR and legal press. She has a particular interest in shared parental leave and other family-friendly rights.

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