Staff Handbook

Adoption Leave If you will be the primary carer and are newly matched with a child for adoption by an approved adoption agency (i.e. not your step-child or foster child) you are eligible for up to 52 weeks’ adoption leave. N.B. If you are the partner of the primary carer (i.e. the person who will be taking adoption leave) you may be entitled to 2 weeks’ paternity leave instead of adoption leave (See below). In order to take adoption leave, you must notify your line manager of your intention to take adoption leave within 7 days of being notified by the adoption agency that you have been matched with a child for adoption, unless this is not reasonably practicable. The notification must include the date when the child is expected to be placed and the date on which the leave will start. You should provide your line manager with a copy of the ‘matching certificate’ from 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

section “Notice Periods”, below. Holiday and adoption leave

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

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