Staff Handbook UK

the adoption agency as evidence of entitlement to adoption leave at the same time as your notification of intention to take leave. Your adoption leave can start no earlier than 14 days before the expected date of placement. If you wish to change the date for starting your adoption leave after this initial notification, you may do so. You should notify your line manager of the new start date by either 28 days before the date you originally intended to start your leave or 28 days before the new date, whichever is earlier. The Company will write to you to advise you of your scheduled date of return to work, which will be 52 weeks after the start of your adoption leave. If you wish to return to work sooner, you may do so by giving 8 weeks’ written notice of your new return date. Only one period of adoption leave will be available irrespective of whether more than one child is placed for adoption as part of the same arrangement. If the child’s placement ends during the adoption leave period, you will be able to continue adoption leave for up to eight weeks after the end of the placement. If you do not wish to return to work after your adoption leave, you should give notice of resignation of at least the minimum notice period set out under the Your entitlement to holiday continues as normal during adoption leave. It is important, therefore, that you plan when you will take your holiday before you start your adoption leave. It is normally in your best interests to take your holiday entitlement for the current holiday year before you start adoption leave and you should make your request for holiday through your line manager in the normal way. In most cases it can normally be arranged so that your holiday immediately precedes your adoption leave so that you do not need to return to work in between. Statutory Adoption Pay In order to be eligible to receive Statutory Adoption Pay (SAP) you must meet the following conditions: • Have been employed by the Company without a break for at least 26 weeks into the week before the week notification of the match is given. Part weeks count as full weeks. • Earn a weekly average of at least the Lower Earnings Limit for National Insurance Contributions (NI). This is the amount you have to earn before you start paying NI and is set by the Government. section “Notice Periods”, below. Holiday and adoption leave

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