By Alicia Collinson
From 6 April 2026, the landscape of parental leave in the UK is changing in a way that delivers more flexibility, fairness and security for working parents.
Under the Employment Rights Act reforms, two key entitlements, Paternity Leave (and, in parallel, Secondary Adopters Leave) and Unpaid Parental Leave, will become “day one” rights for employees.
What Has Changed?
Previously, employees had to build up a period of service before being eligible for parental rights:
- Paternity Leave and Secondary Adoption Leave required 26 weeks’ service with the same employer.
- Parental Leave (which entitles every parent to 18 full weeks per child of unpaid leave, at a maximum of 4 weeks per child) required at least one year’s service.
From 6 April 2026:
- Employees can give notice to take Paternity Leave or Secondary Adopters Leave from their very first day of employment.
- Likewise, Parental Leave becomes a day-one entitlement, removing the one-year requirement.
- Fathers can also now take Paternity Leave or Secondary Adopters Leave after Shared Parental Leave, something the previous rules wouldn’t allow.
These changes mean workers will no longer lose out on vital family time simply because they’ve started a new job, which is a significant step forward for working families.
Transitional Rules You Should Know
For babies due soon after the changes come into force, there’s a temporary notice reduction:
If a baby is due between 5 April and 25 July 2026, notice for Paternity Leave or Secondary Adopters Leave can be given 28 days before leave begins rather than under the usual longer notice periods.
From 26 July onwards, standard notice rules apply.
Its also worth noting that the notice periods for which employees can take Paternity or Secondary Adopters Leave from 5 April has already commenced; that started on 6 February.
Important: The reforms make leave available from day one — but the rules about Statutory Paternity or Secondary Adopters Pay haven’t changed. To qualify for pay during that leave, employees still must meet the existing earnings and service thresholds.
What This Means in Practice
- For parents and families, the new day-one rights provide:
- Greater flexibility when starting a new job without penalising family-friendly planning.
- More predictability and security about time off during major life events like birth, adoption or shared parenting.
- A more inclusive workplace culture where employees feel supported from day one.
For employers, this change will require updates to HR policies, employee handbooks and management training to ensure compliance from April 2026.
Need Help Navigating These New Rights?
Understanding your workplace rights — and employer obligations — is essential in avoiding costly mistakes and ensuring parents get the time off they’re entitled to.
Our team at Thrive Law can help. Whether you’re an employee seeking clarity on your entitlements or an employer updating policies and procedures, we’re here to support you. We are hosting webinars, forums, roundtables, training sessions and sending out newsletters; all to keep you informed.
Get in touch with our employment law experts today to review your parental leave policies, get tailored guidance, or answer your questions about the new day-one rights. Emil: enquiries@thrivelaw.co.uk
