Paternity Leave Policy - April 2026

Time off to attend adoption appointments

If you are adopting a child jointly, one of you can elect to take paid time off to attend up to five adoption appointments. The other adoptive parent is entitled to take unpaid time off to attend up to two adoption appointments.

The parent who takes paid time off is not entitled, later on, to take paternity leave in respect of the child.

To make a request for time off to attend an adoption appointment, please apply via My View

The appointment must have been arranged by or at the request of the adoption agency. The right to time off work is limited to a maximum of six-and-a-half hours for each appointment.

You should give your line manager as much notice as possible of when you need the time off for the adoption appointment and, wherever possible, arrange them outside your core hours or as near to the start or end of the working day as possible.