In such cases an individual will be entitled to parental leave. Period Employees must have been continuously employed by the University for one year in order to be able to take parental leave. Parents can take 13 weeks' parental leave for each child. Leave can be taken in blocks of up to one week or more, to a maximum of four weeks in a year for each child. Where the leave is taken in blocks of less than one week, a week will only be deducted from an employee's overall parental leave entitlement of 13 weeks when the short periods of leave add up to what would be the normal working week.
Parents can take parental leave up to the child's eighth birthday.
Adoptive parents can take leave up to the eight anniversary of the date when the placement for adoption began or the child's 18th birthday if this is earlier. Parents of children for whom a disability living allowance has been awarded can take leave up to the child's 18th birthday. Mothers can take up to four weeks parental leave immediately after a period of maternity leave provided that the notice requirements and other conditions such as the qualifying period are met. The date of placement is the date when a child is placed by an external agency into a family home prior to formal adoption. There may be occasions when there is no date of placement, for example, if the child is already in a family when a step-parent formally adopts the child in place of the parent.