Becoming a parent is one of the biggest events people experience in their lives. Anyone at Bonnet, regardless of gender, is able to take parental leave, and regardless of the way you've become a parent - childbirth, adoption or foster care.

By law, the earliest you can start your leave is 11 weeks before the expected week of childbirth, however we understand circumstances in pregnancy can change and we will take these on a case by case basis. Otherwise, leave will start once the baby is here.

🍼 Parental pay policy

1. Once you’ve been with Bonnet for a year, our parental pay policy looks like this:

   • 12 weeks fully paid parental leave - no matter if you gave birth or your partner
   • Additional 14 weeks maternity leave on 50%
   • Up to 26 weeks on Statutory maternity leave

   👉 As this is an entitlement, you do not have to take the full time off however we encourage to take two weeks leave after your baby is born.

2. If you joined Bonnet for less than a year before the birth, you can still take up to 52 weeks away from work. In terms of pay you’re entitled to:

   • The first 6 weeks are fully paid
   • The next 33 weeks at the Maternity Allowance rate
   • The remainder of your leave is unpaid

Shared parental leave

The UK enables parents to take shared parental leave, more information here. Parents can share up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay between them.

The shared parental leave can be taken in blocks separated by periods of work, or it in one go.

To be eligible for shared parental leave, both parents must each have been employed for at least 26 weeks before the end of the 15th week before the due date. You must also stay with the same employer for the duration of the leave and it must be taken within the first year after the birth of the child.

Shared parental pay is £156.66 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. The government has a useful calculator to determine shared parental leave and pay.

What you need to do next

• Please communicate your parental leave request to your manager as soon as you feel comfortable doing so, and in any case at least 2 months before it will begin. This includes the due date and when and how much leave you’re planning to take.
• Next, please reach out to the people team and share the same information with them as well. They will advise you which forms will need to be submitted with the government.
• Once you have dates confirmed, please book your time on Humaans under ‘parental leave’.

<aside> 💡 If your baby is born prematurely, please give notice of this to your manager and the people team as soon as possible - we will support you as much as we can. Your leave will start from the date of the baby’s birth.

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Handover

Please prepare a documented handover (e.g. email, Notion, Slack) and set expectations on what still needs to be done in your absence (e.g. keeping a project going, OKPIs). This makes sure tasks aren't left undone or forgotten about.

❓ FAQs

• Can I return on a flexible basis?
• Can I split my parental leave?