Changes in Fathers Employment Rights to Attend Ante-natal Care

In effort to encourage the involvement of fathers with their children from the earliest possible stages, the Government has introduced increased access for them to attend their child’s ante-natal care. Effective from 1^st October, fathers and partners will have the right to take unpaid time off work to attend two antenatal appointments.

Expectant fathers or the partner (including same sex, spouse or civil partner) of a pregnant woman will be entitled to take unpaid time off work to accompany the woman to up to two of these appointments.

The right extents to those who will have become parents through surrogacy if they expect to satisfy conditions within the Parental Order for the child born through that arrangement. Each appointment is time capped at six and half hours. An employer is not entitled to ask for any evidence of the appointments as it relates to another persons medical condition but is permitted to ask the employee for a declaration stating the date and time of the appointment.

The Government is aiming to enable both mothers and fathers to maintain a strong link to the workplace while allowing employers to benefit from lower staff turnover and having a more flexible and motivated workplace.