Parental Leave Letter Template

The right to take parental leave is open to all employees who have worked for at least one year continuously with the same employer. Parental leave is usually unpaid, and is something different to shared parental leave which is about sharing the period of maternity leave the mother is entitled to after birth.

People may choose to take unpaid parental leave for a variety of reasons, such as to settle children into a new school or childcare arrangement.

You are eligible to take parental leave if you have completed one year’s continuous service with an employer.

Below is a parental leave letter template you can use to help craft a letter to your employer requesting parental leave. You will have to insert (or delete) the correct information, but it is a great starting point. You can also download a copy of this in word here.

Your Address
Date

Company’s address

Dear [insert manager’s name] / HR

Parental Leave

I am writing to inform you that: (use following statement as relevant to you)

following the end of my paternity leave on [insert date] I would like take [insert time period up to 4 weeks] Parental Leave

OR

following the end of my adoption leave on [insert date] I would like take [insert time period up to 4 weeks] Parental Leave.

OR

I would like to take [insert time period up to 4 weeks] Parental Leave to look after my child who is under the age of 18.

I would like my Parental Leave to start on [insert date, no sooner than 21 days away] and enclose [a copy of my child’s birth certificate/ evidence of adoption/ evidence of my child’s disability allowance/ notice of my partner’s expected week of childbirth.] delete as appropriate.

Thank you for considering this request. I look forward to receiving confirmation of my leave from you.

Yours sincerely

[insert your name]

Further reading:

Parental leave & Time off for emergencies
What is Shared Parental Leave?

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