# Adoption policy at work



## mafergal (Jul 31, 2013)

Hi everyone, Happy New Year!

Just after some advice.

I'm wanting to make a complaint to my employer about the lack of policy on adoption. I'm quite lucky that my employer has a policy on adoption leave & pay & it is generous compared to others I have seen. But there is no policy or acknowledgement at all on the approval process re. adoption related absences. It seems policy only kicks in once there is a matching certificate.

I know a lot of employers don't have a policy on this (I think all should matching maternity related absences) but as I work for the Home Office it seems ludicrous that a government department don't have such a policy. 

Has anyone else written such a letter to their employer & able to offer any advice/tips/share outcomes? 

Thanks x


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## GERTIE179 (Apr 20, 2005)

Hi,

Didn't want to read & run but when I took my AL it was same as yours, however recently been in for a kit day and happen to read the policy as it's been updated for the new legislation. This time it has reasonable time off is covered if unavoidable ie if SSs meetings are only during work hours and only in relation to a match so HS is still your own time. It's also phrased like doc appts that where poss meets should be start/end of day & where practical you are expected to work the rest of the day.

HTH


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## Loopylou29 (Mar 4, 2013)

I don't know of any employer that has a policy in regards to pre placement.

I work for the public sector and also receive a generous adoption leave package. In relation to the homestudy I approached hr and asked how I went about time off for visits. I was pleasantly surprised to be told they would grant special leave providing some of the visits were done on rest days or after work. Our sw was more than accomodating when we explained.

My employers allow special leave for couples undergoing IVF which is why the allow prospective adopters the time. They can't write a policy as it would have to be agreed at a national level before going to the home office funnily enough for it to be granted. No offence to you but given how long adopters waited for leave to match maternity in my employment it'd be years before anything else was granted.

Back to your query though if they allow time for hospital appointments and IVF that would be the angle I'd go down.


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## Sq9 (Jan 15, 2013)

Hello mafergal. I'm a civil servant working for the MOJ and our adoption policy means I'm entitled to up to 5 days for prep course, panel dates etc.  I also have a very lovely manager who is happy for me to take whatever time I need once we get a link for meetings etc.  I know all government departments have different policies but it might be worth raising with them that other departments offer time off for prep course etc. I'm not sure if you can access MOJ intranet to get the policy, if you can't, pm me and I'll be happy to send you the policy if that helps


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## lynsbee (Jun 21, 2013)

My AL was going to be what it says on direct gov. I questioned it.....partly because I have been in my job for nearly 12years (one of the longest at the nursery) and also because I didn't think it was very fair. Anyway they matched it to  maternity leave. I also found out I was entitled to 3days paid leave for anything to do with adoption....eg prep, panel etc. My old manager had failed to inform me of that so I had been using holiday and changing my rota day and having home assessments in the evenings etc. So I am now going to use those 3days as part of intro week. 

My DH works for department of transport (civil service) the adoption leave he is allowed is amazing but he his only going to take paternity leave plus a couple of weeks holiday. His work also put all social worker visits, prep, panel and intro week down as medical apps.


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## Handstitchedmum (Mar 24, 2013)

My policy covers any adoption-related appointment. It completely matches maternity in every way. I would expect no less from an employer whose duties include safeguarding people's rights.

My suggestion is to contact ACAS or your union for advice. They will probably say you need to follow your employer's grievance policy in the first instance, if you are unsatisfied with your employers initial response to your informal concerns. Try to do everything in writing and keep it simple. Aka, state the facts and ask why; request a policy that matches. The ball is in their court. Don't get drawn into lengthy discussions. Put the onus on them to justify the differences. If you exhaust the internal processes, go to ACAS.


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## AoC (Oct 28, 2008)

I work in the NHS and there wasn't a policy on pre-placement leave.  I spoke to my line manager and he agreed that I could take unavoidable home study times as special leave, in the same way a woman attending ante-natal classes would.  I *heart* my old line manager.  

In the event I used some lieu and annual leave, too, as a goodwill gesture.


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## Sun Flower (Jul 14, 2008)

Hi ladies
Can I jump in please and ask for your help  
we are hoping to go to panel in Feb, I have emailed our HR dept and they have agreed I can email questions through to them, so what do I ask……are there certain things I need clarification on at this stage? 

some of my thoughts……..
when do I have to give notice? Can I give notice based on matching panel (and if match falls through, withdraw my notice?) Can I take annual leave before or after or mix it into adoption leave?  

Have I missed anything? 

Thanks xx


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## Loopylou29 (Mar 4, 2013)

Sunflower

Many policies ask for 28 days notice however employers tend to recognise that in the majority of cases this is not possible as you can't officially give notice until you have the decision makers letter. I gave unofficial notice prior to matching panel so they could organise pay and other duties etc. You must tell your employer officially within 7 days of receiving the matching certificate/decision makers letter.
Adoption leave can start up to 14 days before the date of placement which is the day introductions end. At the latest it must start on the day of placement.
I used annual leave to cover introductions and then started my adoption leave on the day of placement. I returned to work when statutory pay finished but took annual leave straightaway. You can't take annual leave in the middle of adoption leave (something to do with not having interruption in statutory payments).
My hr department were really good and had everything set up prior to matching panel on the understanding dates could change. If you can get some provisional dates for intros and let hr know you want to start adoption leave on such a day and you'd like annual leave on these dates and see what they come back with.


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## Sun Flower (Jul 14, 2008)

Thanks Loopylou, Im just typing my email to HR now. Your comments are really useful. I may ask to take annual leave from matching panel through intros until day of placement. Then add the rest of annual leave onto the end of my adoption leave. similar to you I think?

Thanks again x


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## Loopylou29 (Mar 4, 2013)

That is what I did, just meant I got full pay for a little longer at the beginning of placement instead of using adoption leave for introductions. 
Good luck, I'm in my second spell of adoption leave and loving every minute.


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## AoC (Oct 28, 2008)

This forum really needs a like button.  

Yes, I started my adoption leave with annual leave.  Worked out nicely.


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