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3.9.16 Continuity of Employment
For both statutory and contractual purposes, continuity of employment is not broken by minimum, extended or
additional maternity leave or father's leave. This means that the full period of leave counts for calculating
continuous employment for statutory and contractual purposes except for accrual of remuneration and holiday
entitlement (see above).

Your contract of employment will continue during minimum, extended or additional maternity leave or father's
leave, although, of course, you will not be obliged to work nor, will the Company be obliged to provide you with
work. If for any reason you fail to return to work, or fail to give the appropriate notification of your return to
work, at the end of the relevant period of leave you will be treated as having resigned from your employment
and your employment and contract will come to an end as a result of your resignation.

3.9.17 Health and Safety
In accordance with the Company's legal obligations the Company has carried out an assessment of the risks to
all pregnant employees, new mothers and breast-feeding mothers who work for the Company. You should
advise a MANAGER as soon as possible that you are pregnant, have given birth in the last 6 months or are breast
feeding to allow adequate protection to be provided to you.

If your job is identified as carrying any risk for you or your unborn child, you will be notified immediately, and
arrangements will be made to remove you from those risks. This may mean that your working conditions are
altered or that you are offered another more suitable job for the duration of your pregnancy. If neither of these
options is possible the Company is obliged to suspend you on full pay until you are no longer at risk. If you have
any concerns about your own health and safety at any time you should speak to you’re a supervisor or a
MANAGER immediately.

3.10 ADOPTIVE LEAVE
Adoptive leave is available to an employed adopting mother, an employed sole male adopter, and an employed
adopting father where the adopting mother has died. The leave consists of a minimum of 24 weeks-unpaid
leave ("Adoptive Leave") commencing on the day of placement of the child and an additional 16 weeks’ unpaid
leave ("Additional Adoptive Leave"). You must give at least 4 weeks’ notice to the employer prior to the date of
placement. For additional adoptive leave at least 4 weeks’ notice must be given before the end of the twenty-
four-week adoptive leave period. This additional leave is optional. In the case of foreign adoptions, some or all
of the 16 weeks’ additional leave may be taken immediately before the placement date. From 30 January 2006
if the adopted child is hospitalised, the period of leave or additional leave may be postponed, provided that the
employer agrees.

3.10.1 Before the Adoption
Adopting parents are entitled to paid time off work to attend preparation classes and pre-adoption meetings
with social workers or Health Service Executive (HSE) officials required during the preadoption process.

3.10.2 During the Leave
All employment rights other than remuneration are preserved during the 24-weeks adoptive leave.
Employment rights during the 16-weeks additional adoptive leave will be frozen, i.e. the period of employment
before the leave will be regarded as continuous with the period of employment following the leave. The
employee has the right to return to work after the adoptive leave and additional leave. An employee must give
4 weeks written notification to the employer before the end of the leave.

3.10.3 Social Insurance Benefit
You may also be entitled to social insurance benefit for adoptive leave paid by the Department of Employment
Affairs and Social Protection, and you should contact the Department in this regard.

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