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Paternity leave notice to your employer (Great Britain)
England, Scotland and Wales · in English · for employees
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13 questions · about 5 min
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For an employee in England, Wales or Scotland who is the child's father, or the mother's spouse, civil partner or partner: a notice of paternity leave — one week, two weeks together or two separate weeks, within a year of the birth — giving the expected week of childbirth, the dates and the declaration that you will share responsibility for the child's upbringing. Since 6 April 2026 the leave is a right from your first day; the pay still needs 26 weeks' service. Hand it in and email it.
- Made for use in England, Scotland and Wales
- Last updated October 29, 2026
- Document in English
Where a UK document reproduces the words of legislation or of a government publication — UK, Scottish or Northern Irish — it contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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When to use this document
- Your partner is expecting a baby and you want to tell your employer in England about paternity leave.
- You have only just started a new job and want paternity leave when the baby arrives.
- You want to take your two weeks of paternity leave separately during the baby's first year.
- You want to give your employer in Wales or Scotland written notice of your paternity leave.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Employee
- Employee's address
- Town or city
- Employee's postcode
- Date
- Person at your employer you are writing to, as you would greet them (e.g. Priya Patel)
- Employer
- Employer's postal address (street and number, postcode and town on separate lines)
- Expected week of childbirth: the Sunday it begins (as on the MAT B1)
- How you will take paternity leave
- Date the leave (or its first week) starts
- Date the second week starts (only for two separate weeks)
- Your relationship to the child
Common questions
- Who can take paternity leave in Great Britain, and is it a day-one right now?
- An employee who is the child's father, or the mother's spouse, civil partner or partner, and who expects to share responsibility for bringing the child up. Since 6 April 2026 the leave no longer needs 26 weeks' service: it is a right from your first day (Employment Rights Act 2025). Statutory Paternity Pay — £194.32 a week or 90% of average earnings if lower — still needs 26 weeks' service by the 15th week before the expected week, and earnings at the lower earnings limit.
- Can paternity leave be split into two separate weeks, and when must it be taken?
- Yes. For babies due from April 2024 you can take one week, two weeks together or two separate weeks, at any time in the 52 weeks after the birth. Give notice that you are entitled by the end of the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth, or as soon as you reasonably can, and give at least 28 days' notice of the dates of each week; dates can be changed with 28 days' notice.
- Do I need HMRC's form SC3 to get Statutory Paternity Pay?
- Your employer needs a declaration for the pay: HMRC's free form SC3, or the employer's own version, asks for the expected week, the relationship and the dates. This notice gives the same facts for the leave and asks your employer whether they need any further form for the pay. If you do not qualify for Statutory Paternity Pay, the leave is still yours, unpaid unless your contract pays it.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
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Related documents
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