Donal working in tech asks “What is parent’s leave? My child is one and a half. Does it apply to me?”
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In ROI
Hi Donal, Parent’s Leave is a statutory entitlement that allows each parent to take time off work during the first two years after your child is born or adopted. You don’t need to qualify for maternity, adoptive or paternity leave to take Parent’s Leave, it’s a standalone entitlement. You must give your employer at least 6 week’ notice in writing.
- Each parent is entitled to 9 weeks of Parent’s Leave per child.
- This leave must be taken within 104 weeks (2 years) of the birth or adoption.
- It can be taken as a single block or in chunks, depending on agreement with your employer.
- During this leave, you can apply for Parent’s Benefit of €289 per week, assuming you have enough PRSI contributions.
Employer’s don’t have to pay you during this leave however many unions have negotiated paid enhancements to top of the state benefit.
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