Page 15 - Comerford EHB Pdf

An employee will maintain all of his or her employment rights while on leave including the
entitlement to public and annual holidays. However, employees will not be paid by the
company during Adoptive Leave.

An employee who is on adoptive leave will be entitled to payment from the Department of
Social Protection for up to 24 weeks. Payment will be available if the employee has paid the
relevant PRSI contributions, and provides a certificate of placement in the case of Irish
adoptions, or a declaration of eligibility and suitability in the case of foreign adoptions.

An adopting parent must provide his/her Manager with written notification of his/her intention
to return to work no later than 4 weeks before the intended date of return. When adoptive
leave ends, an employee will be entitled to return to his/her usual job so far as is reasonably
practicable. However, if this is not possible, the employee will be offered suitable alternative
work.

H) PRE-ADOPTION MEETINGS AND CLASSES

An employee is entitled to such time off as is necessary from her/his normal working time,
without loss of pay, to attend pre-adoption classes or meetings which the employee is
required to attend. Employees must give the company two weeks’ notice in writing of any
appointments and must provide a certificate of attendance or appointment card from the
body organizing the classes.

I) POSTPONEMENT OF LEAVE IN THE EVENT OF THE HOSPITALISATION OF THE
CHILD

An employee may apply for the postponement of adoptive leave in the event of the
hospitalisation of the child, to recommence when the child is released from hospital. The
maximum amount of time the leave can be postponed is six months. The decision to allow
this postponement is entirely at the discretion of the company.

If an employee does postpone her/his adoptive leave and then return to work, the remaining
leave must be taken in one block, not later than 7 days after the child has been discharged
from hospital. The employee must provide a letter from the hospital confirming the child has
been hospitalised and following discharge, a letter confirming the date of discharge.

J) PARENTAL LEAVE

Parental Leave is the entitlement of an employee who is the natural or adoptive parent of a
child, or in loco parentis, to leave from his or her employment for a period of 18 working
weeks to take care of the child. Part-time employees have a pro rata entitlement. The 18
week entitlement may be taken continuously or broken down into a minimum of 6 weeks
blocks. Where Parental Leave is applied for in a more fragmented format, e.g. days or
weeks, then the granting of the leave is at the discretion of the company. Parental
Leave is unpaid.
The Act applies to:
• Employees with 1 year’s continuous employment - exceptions in the cases of a child
that is about to reach the age threshold (see below). Pro-rata then applies.
• Natural or Adoptive parents
• Children up to the age of 8, and up to the age of 16 for a child with a disability. There
is an extension if a child under 8 is adopted and is within 2 years of an adoption order.

• Both parents.
You are requested to give notification as early as possible but not less than six weeks in
advance, to your manager of your intention to take Parental Leave. You will be requested to
furnish a copy of the child’s birth certificate along with your Application Form for Parental
Leave, and as far as reasonably practical set out the duration and the manner in which it is

15