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Notice of unpaid parental leave (Northern Ireland)
Northern Ireland · in English · for employees
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For an employee in Northern Ireland with parental responsibility for a child under 18 and at least one year's service: 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. The employer can postpone the leave for up to six months, but not refuse it. nidirect explains parental leave free. Hand it in and email it.
- Made for use in Northern Ireland
- 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
- You want a few weeks with your child over the summer holidays while working in Northern Ireland.
- Your child is starting school and you want to be with them for the first weeks.
- Your employer says they cannot spare you and you want your notice in writing.
- You want to give 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 Northern Ireland, and after how long in the job?
- 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). In Northern Ireland you need one year's continuous employment with your employer; Great Britain dropped that condition in April 2026, Northern Ireland has not. Leave taken with a previous employer counts towards the 18 weeks.
- Can an employer in Northern Ireland 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.
- How does unpaid parental leave in Northern Ireland differ from shared parental leave?
- 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. nidirect explains both free.
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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