Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Step1
Know the basics. If you have been employed by the same employer for a year you are entitled to take a total of 13 weeks off from work, this figure is in total and not per year. This figure is also per child you have under five years old. If the leave is paternity leave, where a new child has been born, the leave should be paid. Parental leave is usually unpaid, although low income earners may be able to get some form of support from the government.
Step2
Be aware that you will need to be a permanent employee of the company you have worked for and have a contract of employment. Many staff, such as temporary staff who are employed through an agency, do not come under this rule. This rule applies even if the temp staff have been employed for over a year.
Step3
Note the confusion between mother or father parental leave. As long as the parent is named on the birth certificate or the child’s adoption certificate either parent is entitled to parental leave. A person who has legal parental responsibility for a child under five is also entitled to parental leave. The age rises to under 18 if the child is disabled.
Step4
Be aware of how long you can take. The basic rule is that you cannot take more than four weeks parental leave for any one child per year and these are usually in weekly blocks but you can get parental leave from work by the day if your child has a disability and hospital visits are required. You should also give 21 days notice in writing prior to taking parental leave.
Step5
Note that when leaving a job you can carry over your unused parental leave from one job to the next, but you will need to wait until you have been with your new employer for a year.
Novice 
