# Adoption Leave



## Milktray (Jun 12, 2005)

Hi all

Am really annoyed at how as prospective adopters we get treated....

I approached my company today to ask if they would allow me any special leave for my home study visits as I mentioned that pregnant women are allowed time off for midwife appointments/scans/doctores etc.....

They basically said that there were not obliged to give me any - this I already knew, but that pregnant women have the above mentioned appointments for the health of the baby and that the visits with the social worker were nothing to do with the babies health, therefore I would have to take holiday/make up the hours.

Now I don't have a huge problem with taking holiday or making up the hours as legally I am not entitled to any time although it does annoy me, but I do have a problem with their reasoning.  I sent an email back and basically said that I could argue the fact that the social worker visits have everything to do with the child/childrens health as the reason the SW comes to see us is to ensure that they are not put into any further danger!  The only difference being that the child is not born to me.

It does make me so angry.  I feel penalised enough as it is that I am not able to conceive naturally and now I feel penalised that I have to eat into my holiday to acheive a goal that nature has cruelly taken away from me.

I think that the laws should change to give us pre adoption leave, I mean how much time off do women who are naturally pregnant get - I am sure that it would accumulate to more than we need for the HS.....

Aarrrgghhh - sorry rant over.

Off to wind down now!

T x


----------



## jilldill (Feb 2, 2006)

Oh Milktray,
I am sorry you sound so fed up! Don't know what to say really I am just sorry you have been made to feel like this.
Take care love JD xx


----------



## smiler73 (Aug 10, 2006)

Hi T,

Just had to write and offer my support!  I'm going through battles with my company over adoption provision versus maternity provision, and it's just so frustrating!!  I'm lucky in that I have a great manager who has told me to take whatever time I need, as he knows I do more than my share of time anyway, but we don't have a policy on it - it's all down to managers discretion.  My issue with them is that if I was to take maternity leave I would end up with over twice as much money as I will taking adoption leave, as they offer a return to work bonus for women returning from mat leave, but not for those returning from adoption leave...  I'm currently challenging it with the HR director - will let you know how I get on.

In prep for this I dug out a load of best practise / union examples of how they should be treated the same - I'll have a look through them at work tomorrow and if any might help you then I'll either post them on here or PM you and get your email address to send them over...

Good luck!

Nic
x


----------



## Milktray (Jun 12, 2005)

thanks Nic x


----------



## thespouses (Jan 5, 2006)

If any of you have a union it would be worth talking to them about this, I know some people have had some success with them (mine is currently "thinking about it" though as they are a bit useless - both myself and another woman where I work are going through the approval process so we are both keen to get things equitable!)


----------



## KarenM (Jul 30, 2002)

Hi everyone

As an HR Manager I deal with this on a regular basis.  I was very fortunate as my employer pays exactly the same as maternity.  I had also got alot of banked flexi time so went back part time for the first 9 weeks (paid full time).  I did do some work prior to my return but that was getting up to date so i hit the ground running.  It proved really useful as when the day came to finally go back I didn't have that dread as I knew what I was going back to.

Just to let you all know that for nayone who gets placed with a child post 1/4/07 there are some changes to the regulations.  Here a brief summary...

Changes to the rules affecting adoption leave, adoption pay, and return to work, where adoption placement is due on or after 1 April 2007

- The payment period for Statutory Adoption Pay will be extended to 39 weeks 
- The notice an employee must give if changing the date of return from adoption leave will be increased from 28 days to 8 weeks 
- Optional keeping in touch days will be introduced enabling adopters to work for up to 10 days during their adoption leave period 
- All adopters have a right to return to work after adoption leave, regardless of the size of their employer. 

Hope this helps
Love
Karen x


----------



## Milktray (Jun 12, 2005)

thanks Karen x


----------



## thespouses (Jan 5, 2006)

Karen, you sound like you know what you're talking about - is it right that there is still 6 months unpaid leave as well after April 1st? Making a year and 3 months in total?

And how are they going to work it with mother's and father's employers, now we'll be able to switch it over between partners? Can you take some of it at the same time as each other?

We suspect they haven't worked out the details yet but thought you might know!


----------



## magenta (Nov 2, 2004)

Hi,

katiea

As far as I am aware, as of April 2007 one parent will get 39 weeks paid at SAP (£108 a week or something) _and_ whatever their employer provides in addition to this. For instance some employers pay half pay for x months - so you will get _at least _ £108 a week for 39 weeks. So you essentially are getting an extra 12 weeks paid at the basic SAP rate. You can still take an additional unpaid 6months and have your job secured for your return.

If one parent takes the SAP the other parent can get 8 weeks unpaid leave but I don't think you can swap half way through.

I think these measures are great - just a shame that I am starting leave next week and it won't apply to me. (well obviously *not* a shame as i am desperate to be a mum now )


----------



## Boomerang girl (Jan 24, 2004)

hi girls, its frustrating isn't it? but at the end of the day, the way we looked at it was we knew it would be like that at the start, so we had the chance to save loads (which we did) enabling me to take a full year off (I got paid 26 weeks at 106 a week, not the same as maternity pay- esp when you have a pretty decent income!) so I have actually ended up financially better off, and with longer time off work, than collegues who got preg, relied on the maternity money and didn't make many adjustments before the birth. we saw the home assessment/waiting time etc as financial planning time too. 
sure, a part of me still burns that i didn't get the 90 percent then 50 percent then stat that other teachers do, but i am also not oblidged to work for the same school for 13 weeks full time or have to pay some of it back.  sure a part of me thinks if only the change to 39 weeks came in earlier, but then i really don't care- it will be in place next time we adopt and if we had adopted five years ago we probably wouldn't have even got 26 weeks!

its the inequality that stinks isn't it?  I really like the sound of those keeping in touch days karen- are they at full pay? that would have made a huge difference this time for me, and for my school in terms of the expertise area i have that isn't covered, as wel as not missing staff training/attending the odd meeting!

guess what? when it was imminent, I went on the National Union of Teachers website- their adoption info hadn't been updated for YEARS and wasn't even current? hows that for commitment to its members?


----------



## KarenM (Jul 30, 2002)

Hi Ladies

Katie - the leave cannot be taken by both of you, you have to decide who will have it. Whichever partner does not take it will be entitled to two weeks paid paternity leave which is paid at SPP rate (£108.85/week currently). In addition for the first 5 years of placement provided the child is under 18, you are entitled to 13 weeks parental leave which is unpaid. It can be taken in week blocks up to a mximum of 4 weeks per year.

Boomer - yes the in touch days are paid, subject to the employers discretion i.e they have to pay but what they pay is another matter (provided it is greater than the minimum wage)

The attached link takes you to the guidance, or for more specific individual advice visit http://www.direct.gov.uk/Diol1/EmploymentDecisionTrees/fs/en

http://www.dti.gov.uk/employment/employment-legislation/employment-guidance/page34284.html

 This post contains an unconfirmed link/information and readers are reminded that FertilityFriends.co.UK or its owners are not responsible for the content of external internet sites 

Hope this helps
Love
Karen x


----------



## Nats (Aug 22, 2003)

Its so frustrating isnt it!......

I was lucky that most of our visits were after work hours but on the days whne it was during work I was always paid. I have been with the company for 9 years and the boss has always supported me through all my IVF and adoption.

Maybe I will get to "use" the new laws coming in next year when we have another placement!  ....still working on dh for that tho!

Good luck
xx


----------



## thespouses (Jan 5, 2006)

Karen - I thought that after April 1st 2007 they were going to allow people to share maternity leave?

I just found this:

http://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2006/09/26/37366/Weekly+dilemma+maternity+and+paternity+leave.html

which seems to say the father can take some of the unpaid bit of the leave?


----------



## KarenM (Jul 30, 2002)

Hi Katie

I have scoured all the documents I have about the new legislation and have found the attached. It has just finshed consultation and is intended to go to parliament for government decision in this next session.

http://www.dti.gov.uk/employment/workandfamilies/add-paternity-leave/index.html

 This post contains an unconfirmed link/information and readers are reminded that FertilityFriends.co.UK or its owners are not responsible for the content of external internet sites 

Hope this helps
Karen x


----------



## thespouses (Jan 5, 2006)

Ooh thanks Karen - will pass that on to husband!


----------

