Adoption leave
Birkbeck’s approach is in excess of the statutory provisions in the following areas. To qualify for full payment/leave, it is stressed that the notice and length of service requirements must be strictly adhered to in order to claim each provision. Details regarding the provisions are:
Time off for pre-adoption and adoption order interviews
Time off for pre-adoption and adoption order interviews
Pre-adoption interviews should, whenever possible, be arranged outside working hours or using annual leave or flexi-time hours. However, where this proves to be impractical, or visits to children are arranged, time off without pay may be granted.
Adoption Order interviews may also require time to be taken off without pay.
In the case of adoption from outside Great Britain, statutory adoption leave is not meant to be used to cover the period employees spend travelling overseas to arrange the adoption or visiting the child. Employees in this situation should talk to their line manager in the first instance, and may be required to take time off without pay.
Any time off must be agreed with the employee’s line manager and employees may be asked to provide evidence of the appointment.
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The employee's entitlement is to take up to 26 weeks' ordinary adoption leave followed immediately by up to 26 weeks' additional adoption leave. The employee's maximum entitlement is thus to take up to 52 weeks' adoption leave.
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If adopting from within Great Britain – this leave can commence 14 days before the date of placement of the adopted child.
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If adopting from overseas – employees may choose to start their Ordinary Adoption Leave:
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from the date the child enters Great Britain, or
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from a fixed date (as notified to the College) no later than 28 days after the date the child enters Great Britain.
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All Adopters are entitled to 52 weeks leave; 26 weeks Ordinary Adoption Leave and 26 weeks Additional Adoption Leave. Additional Adoption Leave will begin the day after the 26 weeks of absence due to Ordinary Adoption Leave ends and may extend the absence period for up to a further 26 weeks from the end of the Ordinary Adoption Leave period.
If an employee commences his/her adoption leave and is subsequently notified that the child is not being placed with him/her the adoption leave period ends eight weeks after the end of the week in which this notification is made.
In the case of an employee planning to adopt from overseas, he/she must tell Human Resources as soon as is reasonably practicable if it becomes known to them that the child will not be entering Great Britain.
If during a period of adoption leave the adopted child dies or is returned to the adoption agency, the adoption leave period ends eight weeks after the end of the week in which this event occurs, unless the employee is on Additional Adoption Leave and this expires before the end of this eight week period. Where this eight-week period extends beyond the end of the Ordinary Adoption Leave period and the employee is entitled to Additional Adoption Leave, the Additional Adoption Leave ceases at the end of that eight-week period.