Family Leave

Parent’s Leave offers parents with children under the age of 2 years of age 7 weeks’ leave during the first two years of a child’s life, or in the case of adoption, within the first 2 years of the placement of the child with the family.

Parent’s leave increased from 5 weeks to 7 weeks for children born or adopted after 1 July 2022. You can claim the additional 2 weeks’ parent’s leave if your child is under the age of 2 on 1 July 2022 or your adopted child has been placed with your family less than 2 years on 1 July 2022. You must complete the extra leave on or before your child’s second birthday or within 2 years of the adoption placement. Parent’s Benefit increased from 5 weeks to 7 weeks for each parent.

The relevant parents are:
• The parent of the child.
• A spouse, civil partner or cohabitant of the parent of the child.
• A parent of a donor conceived child.
• A spouse, civil partner or cohabitant of the adopting parent of the child (if the adoption was not joint).
• Each member of a married couple of the same sex, couples that are civil partners, or cohabiting couples of the same sex.

A mother should take Maternity Leave before taking Parent’s Leave and adopting parents should take Adoptive Leave before taking Parent’s Leave. There is no order in which Paternity, Parental or and Parent’s Leave should be taken. In the case of the death of a child before the age of one, employees remain entitled to Parent’s Leave.

The leave can be taken two weeks consecutively or in periods of no less than one week. You must give at least 6 weeks’ notice in writing of your intention to take parents leave. An employee applying for Parent’s Leave should:

A natural or adoptive parent is entitled to a period of 26 weeks’ parental leave to enable him/her to take care of their child. The child in question must be under 12 (or under 16 where the child is suffering from a disability or a long-term illness). You may be asked to produce a birth certificate.

Only employees with at least one year’s continuous service will be eligible for this leave. Leave may be taken in blocks of not less than six weeks,  or alternatively, by agreement, a different arrangement to suit the needs of the employee as a parent as well as LSC and our client’s needs will be accommodated.

Should you wish to avail of your right to take parental leave, please do not hesitate to contact us for further information.

Paternity leave is available to eligible members of staff to allow them time off from work around the birth or adoption of their child or the child of their spouse or partner. The paternity leave is paid for two weeks. You should apply for the payment 4 weeks before you intend to go on paternity leave. You can start paternity leave at any time within the first six months following the birth.

You can apply for Paternity Benefit online at MyWelfare.

Should you wish to avail of your right to take paternity leave, please do not hesitate to contact us.

• As a pregnant employee, you are entitled to 26 weeks’ maternity leave.
• You must take your leave at least 2 weeks before the end of your expected due date. In addition, you must take 4 weeks after the end of your expected due date.
• This minimum maternity leave is unpaid, but you may be entitled to statutory Maternity Benefit from the Department of Social and Family Affairs.
• In order to avail of maternity leave, you must notify LSC of your intention to take maternity leave, and you must have a medical certificate confirming your expected due date.

Additional Maternity Leave

• You are also entitled to take a further period of 16 weeks’ unpaid maternity leave, irrespective of whether you have availed of your right to take an “extension of leave”.
• This additional maternity leave is unpaid by both us and the Department of Social and FamilyAffairs.
• You must notify LSC of your intention to take this additional leave not later than 4 weeks before your expected return to work date.

Return to work

• You must provide at least four weeks’ written notice of your intention to return to work after maternity leave. Please note that if you do not provide the proper notice of return to work this may affect your right to return to work. The notice should specify the date of your return.

Sickness of the Employee

• If you are too ill to return to work at the end of their maternity leave period, our normal business rules on sick leave will apply.

Maternity Benefit

• During maternity leave and additional maternity leave, you will be deemed to be in employment and your employment rights, with the exception ofremuneration, are preserved as if you were present at work.
• During maternity leave, employees who have the necessary PRSI contributions are entitled to maternity benefit from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.
• It is recommended that you apply at least six weeks before the start date of your maternity leave.
• Claims should be made on MB1 forms, which can be completed or requested online at www.welfare.ie. The organisation will complete the MB2 form (not earlier than 16 weeks before your baby is due).
• During the 16-week period of additional maternity leave, no payment is made by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.

Holiday and other Entitlements

When an employee is absent on maternity leave, additional maternity leave, father’s leave,additional father’s leave, health and safety leave, time off for ante/post-natal appointments, time off for breastfeeding, you are still deemed to be an employee and your absence will not:

• affect any rights or obligations related to your employment conferred by legislation, contract or otherwise.
• The employee will continue to accrue holiday entitlements under the Organisation of Working Time Acts, 1997-2001.
• Other contractual benefits except the right to remuneration will also be continued.

Right to Return to Work

You must provide written notice of your intention to return to work at least 4 least weeks before your intended date of return. Should you wish to avail of your right to take maternity leave, please do not hesitate to contact us for further information. More comprehensive details can be found in the LSC Employee Handbook.

If you suffer the loss of an immediate member of your family e.g. husband, wife, child, parent, brother, sister, you should inform LSC as soon as possible. Unpaid absence of up to three days may be authorised by LSC. If you wish to attend the funeral of a relative outside your immediate family, up to one day’s unpaid leave may be allowed. Bereavement leave in excess of that detailed above should normally be taken as part of paid holiday entitlement or as special unpaid leave. Should you wish to avail of your right to take bereavement leave, please do not hesitate to contact us for further information.

Should you have any questions in relation to other types of leave, please do not hesitate to contact us.