Ordinary Paternity Leave 



Ordinary paternity leave (OPL) is the right for a woman’s partner to take one or two weeks’ leave around the birth or adoption. The leave is intended to help care for a new baby or to support the baby’s mother, so it must be taken within eight weeks of birth or adoption. It is separate from the right to shared parental leave (SPL) and remains unchanged following the introduction of SPL.



There are no current plans to increase OPL beyond two weeks, although a review is expected in 2018. 



Relevant law: Paternity and Adoption Leave Regulations 2002