Having a child is a wonderful experience and attending antenatal appointments is something that couples should experience together, so imagine the upset when many partners find they cannot attend appointments with their pregnant partner.
The Current State of Affairs
At present, pregnant women may attend antenatal appointments during work hours, that by law, bosses must pay for. This paid time off however, is not an option for partners, to go with them for support. But the law is changing…
New Antenatal Rights for Partners
As of October 1st 2014, new antenatal rights for fathers, or any other ‘qualifying persons’, will be introduced. This new entitlement will allow partners to take unpaid time off to attend two appointments that last up to 6.5 hours per session. And this should not be influenced by their length of service with a company in any way.
Further to this, ‘qualifying persons’ can include many different individuals, allowing more than one person to require the time off. Those able to have this time off include:
• Husbands
• Civil Partners
• The Father of the Child
• The intended parents in a surrogacy agreement
And there’s no set process to follow when requesting this time off. It is at an employer’s digression. Employers may ask for evidence of the appointment, such as a confirmation appointment slip or a letter from the medical professional visited.
Employers can of course refuse a request if they feel it is reasonable to do so. But what excuses would amount as ‘reasonable’, are not yet clearly defined.
The Effect on Business
If a business fails to meet with these new rules, the case could be brought before an Employment Tribunal, in order to claim damages. Compensation in such a case would be double the hourly rate the individual is paid or would have received if they had been able to attend the appointment. This may not be a huge amount, but it is advised that a business should avoid litigation if possible.
If you are a business owner then we recommend that you inform the entire staff of this change and update your family-friendly policies. Make managers aware of how to handle such a request and implement a structure, such as a notice period to arrange cover.
