What’s changed for paternity and parental leave in 2026

By Helen Dyball, Head of Human Resources

Last month, I shared the updates to Statutory Sick Pay. This month, it's family leave. From 6 April 2026, the rules around paternity leave and parental leave changed. Here's what that means in plain English.

If you're a new dad, partner, or co-parent...

You used to have to work somewhere for at least six months before you could take paternity leave. That rule is gone. Paternity leave is now a day-one right, meaning you can take it no matter how long you've been with us. You still get up to two weeks off, and it can be taken as a single block or two separate weeks.

To qualify for statutory paternity pay, you must have been employed with the company for at least 26 weeks by the end of the 15th week before the baby is due (I know this sounds complicated, but please contact us if you need help to understand if you qualify).

The weekly statutory paternity pay rate has also increased slightly to £194.32 per week.

If you need unpaid time off to care for your child...

Parents can take up to 18 weeks of unpaid leave per child (up to their 18th birthday) to help with childcare and family life. You used to need a year's service to access this. That's now a day-one right too.

A brand-new right for bereaved partners...

If a mother or primary carer passes away within the first year of birth of their child or adoption, their partner now has a legal right to take the Bereaved Partner’s Paternity leave of up to 52 weeks of unpaid leave to care for the child and grieve. This is brand new and fills a real gap in the law.

What does this mean for you?

If you're expecting a baby, adopting, or think any of this might apply to you, please get in touch with the HR team. These changes are here to make life a bit easier for working families, and we want to make sure everyone at Wellgate knows what they're entitled to.

To find out more, visit the gov.uk - Unpaid parental leave.