Aim
This document sets out the Company policy on providing parent’s leave to parents in accordance with The Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 and The Family Leave and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2021. The Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 (Extension of Leave) Order 2022 extended Parent’s Leave and Benefit to 7 weeks from 1 July 2022. Statutory Instrument No. 300/2024 extended Parent’s Leave and Benefit to 9 weeks from 1 August 2024.
Parent’s leave is available to eligible members of staff to allow them time off from work within the first two years of the birth or adoption of their child or the child of their spouse or partner.
Scope
This policy covers all part-time and full-time employees of DPD Ireland provided that they meet the conditions outlined below.
Eligibility
Parent’s leave is available to employees who are deemed to be the “relevant parent” of a child. There is no minimum service required with DPD Ireland to qualify for parent’s leave.
Both parents have an equal separate entitlement to parent’s leave. You cannot transfer your entitlement to your partner.
When one parent dies, the surviving parent is entitled to leave for the amount of leave the deceased parent did not take from their 9 week entitlement (this is known as transferred parent’s leave).
Under the Act, a “relevant parent” includes:
A parent of the child
A spouse, civil partner or cohabitant of the parent of the child
A parent of a donor-conceived child as provided for under section 5 of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015
The adopting parent or parents of a child
The spouse or civil partner or cohabitant of the adopting parent of the child (if the parents have not adopted the child together).
In certain circumstances, this may give rise to an entitlement to parent’s leave on the part of up to four individuals in respect of a single child.
Parent’s leave is a statutory entitlement that employees enjoy in addition to their entitlement to take maternity, paternity, parental or adoptive leave.
Entitlements and conditions
The following conditions apply to taking parent’s leave.
Subject to eligibility and notification criteria being met, parent’s leave will apply to births/ placements that take place on or after the 1 November 2019.
An employee who is a relevant parent may avail of parent’s leave in periods of not less than one week at a time.
The leave will commence on the date the relevant parent selects in his/her written notification.
In the case of multiple births, or where two or more children are being adopted at the same time, only a single nine week entitlement of parent’s leave applies.
Length of leave and commencement
Eligible employees are entitled to nine weeks’ consecutive parent’s leave or separate blocks of no less than one week. In the case of multiple births/adoptions, entitlement remains at nine weeks.
Parent’s leave can be taken at any time within two years/104 weeks of the birth or adoption placement.
Notification requirements
DPD Ireland must be notified in writing by the employee at least 6 weeks before the employee intends to take the leave.
Where DPD Ireland is not the same employer from whose employment maternity or adoptive leave has been taken, the employee will be required to include a copy of the medical, or other appropriate, certificate confirming the pregnancy and specifying the expected week of confinement / birth or date of placement of the child.
Payment during parent’s leave
Employees may be eligible to receive parent’s benefit during parent’s leave from the Department of Social Protection subject to PRSI contributions.
An employee can apply for Parent’s Benefit online at www.mywelfare.ie. An employee will need their child’s PPS number to complete the application.
The state-paid parent’s leave standard benefit is €274 per week, (at the same rate as maternity, adoptive and paternity benefit) provided the employee has made sufficient PRSI contributions.
Postponement of parent’s leave by DPD Ireland
In certain limited circumstances the company may need to exercise its right to postpone for up to 12 weeks their employee’s intended parent’s leave commencement date. DPD Ireland postponement may arise where DPD Ireland is satisfied that the taking of the parent’s leave at the time specified in the notification would have a substantial adverse effect on the operation of his or her business, profession or occupation by reason of
(a) seasonal variations in the volume of work concerned,
(b) the unavailability of a person to carry out your duties during the period of the leave,
(c) the nature of your duties
(d) the number of other colleagues availing of parent’s leave during the period
If this postponement results in the child reaching 2 years before the leave has been drawn down, the 104 weeks cap will be extended by up to 12 weeks.
Early confinement
Where the birth of the child occurs 4 or more weeks prematurely, a DPD Ireland employee who is the relevant parent (where circumstances require) will be deemed to have complied with their notice of intention to take parent’s leave obligations to the company if notice is given in the period of 7 days commencing on the date of confinement.
Postponement of parent’s leave due to late birth/postponed adoption placement
An employee who is a relevant parent may postpone a period of parent’s leave where the date of birth occurs after the date selected by a relevant parent in their notification to the company or where the date of placement is postponed in the case of adoption. The relevant parent may select another date on which parent’s leave will commence.
Postponement of parent’s leave when the child is hospitalised
If the child is hospitalised, the employee may request in writing to postpone all or part of their parent’s leave. The postponed leave is to be taken not later than 7 days after the discharge of the child from hospital or such other date as may be agreed between the relevant parent and DPD Ireland.
Terms and conditions during leave
All employment rights will be protected while on parent’s leave other than the right to remuneration. Annual leave and public holiday entitlements accrue while an employee is on parent’s leave.
Fixed-term employees
For employees on a fixed term contract the last day of his or her parent’s leave shall be the day on which the term of his/her contract expires, or the last day of the leave period, whichever is the earlier.
Abuse of parent’s leave
Where the Company has reasonable grounds to believe that an employee who is on parent’s leave is not using the leave for the purpose specified, the leave will be terminated and any period between the commencement date of the leave and the end date of the leave specified in the notification shall be deemed not to be parent’s leave. Where the employee is found to have abused the right to parent’s leave, s/he will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.
Return to work
At the end of the period of parent’s leave, the employee is entitled to return to their normal job under the same terms and conditions. If this is not feasible, suitable alternative employment will be arranged.
Complaints
You are protected against penalisation and unfair dismissal for claiming your rights under parent’s leave legislation.
Disputes about parents leave can be referred by the employee in writing to the Head of HR, patricia.lennon@dpd.ie.
P.O Doc 6
Issue Date: 1st June 2022
Revision Date: 1st August 2024
Next Review Date: 30th July 2025
Documented by: Jess Lumley
Approved by: Mary Gaffey