Adoption leave

Parental rights such as adoption leave are key to helping workers to combine work and the demands of welcoming an adopted child into a family.

Working parents who adopt a child may be entitled to time off work to attend adoption appointments and may be able to take paid adoption leave, paternity leave or Shared Parental Leave (SPL) and shared parental pay after the adoption.

Union reps can campaign and negotiate for better adoption leave - but know your facts first. That means knowing the statutory maternity rights, getting a copy of your employer’s current agreement and, most importantly, finding out what the workers want.

Armed with this information you will be in a far better position to persuade your employer that improved adoption provision will benefit both workers and the organisation itself.