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Employer toolkit
We hope that you find our Employer toolkit useful in ensuring that good communication happens before, during and after an employee's return to work. We have created a bank of pre-prepared letters, check lists and ready made policy templates for your HR colleagues and line managers. Keep on top of key dates when you are advised to remind your employee of their rights under equality law with our date calculator.
Pregnancy
Maternity Date Planner
Pre-pregnancy
Find your legal obligations to new parents and parents-to-be (including adopters) in our handy checklist and guidance for employers.
Pregnancy
The documents below outline the key steps employers should take at key milestones in an employee's pregnancy or adoption preparations. This includes legal entitlements to time off, health and safety checks and pre-prepared letters you can send to your employee to notify things like the end of Maternity Pay.
Case Study
Scenario:
Susan works in a department store. The work involves standing up for most of the day. She provides written notification of her pregnancy. The employer's workplace risk assessment has identified that standing for long periods can pose a risk to the health and safety of a pregnant employee.
What steps should you take?
Her employer should make reasonable adjustments to her working conditions to avoid that risk by providing a chair so that she is not standing for long periods. Susan should be allowed to sit down to do her work whenever possible during her pregnancy - even if colleagues are not provided with chairs. Her employer could offer other duties that do not involve standing all day.
Maternity, paternity or Shared Parental Leave and pay
Maternity leave and pay
Find guidance to when and how to pay Statutory Maternity Pay and pre-prepared letters to send to your employee when they plan to return from maternity or adoption leave.
Paternity leave and pay
Fathers and partners (including same sex couples) are entitled to take time off for two antenatal appointments. Find guidance and check lists on this, paternity leave and other benefits such as flexible working in the documents below.
Shared Parental Leave and pay
Employees and agency workers, casual workers and freelancers paid through PAYE can qualify for Shared Parental Leave if they meet the normal qualifying conditions. Find guidance and checklists in relation to Shared Parental Leave entitlements in our documents to download below.
Adoption, Paternity or Shared Parental Leave for Adoptive parents and Pay
Adoption Date Planner
Adoption leave and pay
Adoptive parents and their partners are entitled to time off for appointments and Adoption Leave. Follow our good practice guide below and download our calendar of key dates which you should make a note of to ensure a smooth adoption process for you and your staff.
Adoption Paternity leave and pay
The partners of the main adopter are entitled to paternity leave and pay. Learn more about it by looking at our calendar or key date and adoption guidance for more information.
Adoption Shared Parental Leave
Adoptive parents are entitled to shared parental leave. Learn more about it by looking at our guidance and template policy below.
After Maternity or Adoption Leave
Return to work
The below downloads explain employee rights on returning to work with examples of scenarios covering things like sickness leave and flexible working requests. You can also find model policies in relation to flexible working and a handy check list to ensure that you remember to follow all the recommended steps when an employee returns from work after having a baby.
