Paternity leave and pay: eligibility (2026)
A new job need not stop you taking paternity leave. Whether those weeks are paid depends on a separate set of service and earnings tests.
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A new job need not stop you taking paternity leave. Whether those weeks are paid depends on a separate set of service and earnings tests.
Your leave is a right from day one as an employee. Check what you will be paid, send notice before the deadline, and keep a record of every reply.
Different salaries are not automatically unlawful. The test is equal work, a valid comparator and an employer who can justify the gap.
UK law does not require time-and-a-half. Your contract sets any overtime rate, but minimum wage, working-time and holiday-pay rules still protect you.
A signed opt-out can lift the 48-hour weekly average. It cannot erase your right to rest or the separate rules for night work.
Taxed like an employee does not mean protected like one. Check who must decide your status, what can come off your fee and how to challenge it.
Asking for more is allowed. Getting what you are already owed should not require bargaining. Check the rate, the hours and the terms before you accept.
A better benefit for a colleague is not automatically unlawful. Check what you were promised, why you were left out and the deadline to challenge it.
Your age during each full year of service sets the statutory figure. We explain the calculation, the caps and the other payments to check before you accept an offer.
Your job title does not cancel your right to minimum wage. Check your duties, save the evidence and act before the claim deadline.
Check the funded hours first, then compare help with the bill left over. Do not give up old employer vouchers until you know what switching will cost.
Check how much leave you earn and what your holiday pay should include. We explain the rules in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.