Unpaid parental leave

Parents are entitled to up to 18 weeks of unpaid leave up to their child’s 18th birthday to look after their welfare. This includes things such as:

• Spending more time with their children
• Looking at new schools
• Settling their children into new childcare arrangements
• Spending more time with family, such as visiting grandparents

Employees are entitled to up to 4 weeks of unpaid parental leave per year. This leave must be taken in blocks of whole weeks.

You can find out more about unpaid parental leave entitlement on the Gov.uk website here.

Last updated: 19 May 2025 (history)