PATERNITY LEAVE POLICY - Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service

5 ELIGIBILITY FOR STATUTORY PATERNITY PAY
In addition to the eligibility criteria for Paternity Leave, the employee must have
average weekly earnings at or above the Lower Earnings Limit for National Insurance
as at the 15 th week before the EWC and must give the Authority at least 28 days’
notice of their intention to claim Paternity Pay. It should be noted that, in the case of
Retained employees, if National Insurance Contributions have been paid in the quarter
preceding 15 weeks before the EWC, the two week Paternity Leave period will be
paid at the prescribed rate of Statutory Paternity Pay or 90% of average weekly
earnings (if less). Should their earnings in the quarter preceding 15 weeks before the
EWC fall below the National Insurance Contributions limit, no Statutory Paternity
Pay will be paid and the employee will be eligible to be paid a Retaining Fee and a
Drill Fee only for the first week of Paternity Leave. The employee will be entitled to
take a second week of Paternity Leave for which a Retaining Fee only will be paid.
Due to the payment system for Retained personnel, the Statutory Paternity Pay will be
paid at the time of taking the leave, less the Drill and Retaining Fee which will be
paid at the end of the next quarter.
For Wholetime, Control Room and full-time non-uniformed personnel, Statutory
Paternity Pay is paid at the same prescribed rate as Statutory Maternity Pay or 90% of
average weekly earnings (if less). However, given the existing provisions of
Maternity Support Leave whereby a nominated carer of an expectant mother may
avail of five days paid leave at or around the time of the birth, the Authority will pay
the first week of Paternity Leave as if it were Maternity Support Leave, ie, at the
employee’s standard weekly rate of pay and the second week of Paternity Leave will
be at the prescribed rate of Statutory Paternity Pay only. It should be noted that
Maternity Support Leave is distinct from Paternity Leave. The criteria and provisions
of Maternity Support Leave are detailed in the Authority’s Maternity Support Leave
Policy. The second week of Paternity Leave paid at the prescribed rate of Statutory
Paternity Pay is superannuable and counts towards service.
5.1 The employee must also give the Authority a signed declaration that the
following criteria applies:
✧ The employee is the father of the child and/or the husband or partner of the
mother, as defined at 1 (a);
✧ The leave is being taken to either care for the child or to support the
mother; and
✧ The employee has or expects to have responsibility for the upbringing of
the child.
6 RIGHTS DURING PATERNITY LEAVE
During Paternity Leave an employee is entitled to the benefit of all applicable terms
and conditions of employment, except those relating to remuneration and to return to
the same job.