Flexible Working

• All employees can make a request from first day of employment.
• Maximum of 2 requests in 12 months.
• Requests can only be rejected on specific grounds and employer must consult about rejections.
• Decisions should be given within 2 months.

Working Time Regulations

Maximum hours per week (without opt-out)	48
Minimum paid holiday per year for employees with regular hours (i.e 28 days, including bank holidays for full-time workers)	5.6 weeks
Minimum rest break if working 6+ hours	20 minutes
Minimum rest break between each working day	11 hours
Minimum days off per week	1

For holiday years starting after 1 April 2024:

Irregular & part-year workers accrue holiday at 12.07% of hours worked in the pay period

Those workers can lawfully be paid rolled up holiday pay

Redundancy

Qualifying period (for payment) is 2 years’ continuous employment.

Redundancy Pay Formula:

Complete years of continuous service x age factor x weekly pay (subject to caps on weekly pay (£751) and service (20 years))

Statutory Sick Pay

SSP is payable from the first day of absence for up to 28 weeks at a rate of £123.25 per week (or 80% of earnings if lower).

Tribunal Award Limits – from 6 April 2026

• One week’s pay (for calculating basic award and statutory redundancy pay) can be up to £751.
• The maximum basic award for unfair dismissal is £22,530.
• The maximum compensatory award for unfair dismissal is currently the lower of £123,543 or 52 weeks’ gross pay. From 1 January 2027, this maximum cap is being removed entirely and employees will only require 6 months’ continuous service to bring an unfair dismissal claim.
• The award for discrimination is unlimited.

Auto Enrolment Pensions Duties

• All employers must provide a workplace pension scheme meeting specific standards.
• Any employee in the UK aged between 22 and the state pension age and earning at least £10,000 a year must be enrolled and the employer is required to pay at least 3% of the employee’s “qualifying earnings” into the scheme.

Statutory Minimum Notice

Maternity Leave and Pay

(* or 90% of average weekly earnings if less than statutory rate).

SMP is available to workers who have 26 weeks’ service as the 15th week prior to the expected week of childbirth.

Antenatal Appointments

• All pregnant employees and agency workers have the right to reasonable paid time off during working hours to attend antenatal appointments.
• An employee or agency worker is entitles to take unpaid time off to accompany a pregnant woman to an antenatal appointment if they are the baby’s father or the woman’s partner. Limited to 2 occasions, each lasting no more than 6.5 hours.
• An employer can only refuse a request for time off where it is reasonable to do so.

Keeping in Touch Days: Maternity and Adoption

Employee can attend work for certain purposes for up to 10 days during maternity leave and adoption leave without ending the leave.

Paternity Leave and Pay – from 6 April 2026

• All eligible employees are entitled to paternity leave from day one of employment.
• SPP is available to employees who have 26 weeks’ service as at the 15th week prior to the expected week of childbirth. SPP is £194.32 per week (or 90% of average weekly earnings if less than statutory rate).

Parental Leave – from 6 April 2026

• 18 weeks’ unpaid leave per child in total to be taken before child’s 18th birthday.
• All eligible employees are entitled to parental leave from day one of employment.
• This right is separate and in addition to the right to SPL.
• An employee must take the leave as whole weeks rather than individual days unless the employer agrees otherwise or the child is disabled.
• Up to 4 weeks can be taken in 1 year unless the employer agrees otherwise.

Shared Parental Leave (SPL)

• Eligible parents can divide SPL between them in proportions they choose.
• Leave can be taken consecutively or concurrently by parents.
• The amount of SPL available will be 52 weeks, less the number of weeks of maternity or adoption leave the mother has taken (mother must take at least 2 weeks maternity leave).
• SPL is subject to mother curtailing her statutory maternity leave.

Shared Parental Leave and Pay

Pay Period	Pay Level – from 6 April 2026
Up to 39 weeks	£194.32 per week *

(* or 90% of average weekly earnings if less than statutory rate)

The number of weeks of Shared Paternity Pay is 39 weeks, less any weeks spent by the mother or adopter in receipt of Maternity Pay, Maternity Allowance, or Adoption Pay.

Keeping in Touch Days: Shared Parental Leave

Employee can attend work for certain purposes for up to 20 days during the SPL period without ending the leave. This is in addition to any Keeping in Touch Days taken whilst on maternity or adoption leave.

Adoption Leave

• Adoption leave is available to one nominated parent who is adopting jointly.
• The maximum length of adoption leave is 52 weeks, with ordinary and additional leave both capped at 26 weeks each.

Adoption Pay and Adoption Appointments

Pay Period	Pay Level – from 6 April 2026
First 6 weeks	90% of pay
Next 33 weeks	£194.32 per week *

(* or 90% of average weekly earnings if less than statutory rate)

The primary adopter has the right to take paid time off for up to five adoption appointments. The secondary adopter will be entitled to take unpaid time off to attend two adoption appointments, each lasting no more than 6.5 hours.

Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay

• Parents who suffer the loss of a child may take either 1 or 2 weeks’ parental bereavement leave. If the length of employment is less than 26 weeks SPBL will be unpaid.
• Pay after 26 weeks of employment is £194.32 per week, or 90% of average weekly earnings if less than statutory rate (from 6 April 2026).

Carer’s Leave

All employees will be entitles to take 1 week of unpaid carer’s leave in each 12 month period in order to care for, or arrange care for dependents with long term care needs.

Neonatal Care Leave and Pay

Parents of babies admitted to neonatal care may be entitled to up to 12 weeks’ neonatal care leave. If the length of employment is less than 26 weeks SNCL will be unpaid. Pay after 26 weeks of employment is £194.32 per week, or 90% average weekly earnings if less than statutory rate (from 6 April 2026).

Bereaved Partner’s Paternity Leave – from 6 April 2026

• All eligible employees are entitled to up to 52 weeks’ BPPL where their child’s primary carer (such as their mother or co-adopter) dies within 52 weeks of the child’s birth or adoption placement.
• This right applies from day one of employment.
• There is no statutory right to pay during a period of BPPL.

If you have any questions regarding the information presented here, please contact us below.

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