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Notice of unpaid parental leave (Great Britain)
England, Scotland and Wales · in English · for employees
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13 questions · about 5 min
Made for use in England, Scotland and Wales
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For an employee in England, Wales or Scotland with parental responsibility (in Scotland, parental responsibilities) for a child under 18: a notice taking unpaid parental leave, giving the child, the dates and the number of weeks. The default rules allow 18 weeks for each child, up to four weeks a year, in whole weeks, with at least 21 days' notice; since 6 April 2026 the right starts on your first day. The employer can postpone the leave for up to six months, but not refuse it. 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 child is starting school and you want two weeks of unpaid parental leave from your job in England.
- You want to spend the summer holidays with your children and need more time off.
- You have just changed jobs and want to use unpaid parental leave straight away.
- You want to give your employer in Wales or Scotland written notice of unpaid parental 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)
- Child's name
- Child's date of birth
- First day of the leave
- Last day of the leave
- Number of weeks of leave (e.g. two weeks)
Common questions
- How much unpaid parental leave can I take in Great Britain, and from when?
- Up to 18 weeks for each child before their 18th birthday, at most four weeks a year for each child, in whole weeks unless the child is disabled, under the default rules (your contract or a collective agreement may be more generous). Since 6 April 2026 there is no qualifying period: the right starts on your first day (Employment Rights Act 2025). Leave taken with a previous employer counts towards the 18 weeks.
- Can my employer postpone or refuse unpaid parental leave?
- Under the default rules your employer cannot refuse it, but can postpone it for up to six months if the leave would unduly disrupt the business, by notice in writing within seven days of your notice giving the reason and the new dates. Leave asked for straight after a birth or adoption, with the right notice, cannot be postponed. You are protected from dismissal or worse treatment for asking for or taking the leave.
- Is unpaid parental leave the same as shared parental leave?
- No. Unpaid parental leave is a separate right of up to 18 weeks per child, usable until the child is 18. Shared parental leave lets parents share up to 50 weeks of leave, and up to 37 weeks of pay, in the first year after a birth or adoption, in place of part of the maternity or adoption leave; it has its own eligibility rules and notices. GOV.UK has a free planner for shared parental leave.
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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