Increase in parental leave requests as school summer holidays commence

As we enter the summer months, unsurprisingly, we receive an increase in queries from members regarding parental leave as many working parents seek to use statutory parental leave to take time off during the school summer holidays to mind their children, particularly when their children are at pre-school or national school going age. In the below summary we provide an overview of some of the main statutory rights and duties placed on both the employer and the employee. We also highlight some practical advice for employers managing requests from employees who wish to exercise their statutory right to avail of parental leave.