Support is not only for those who have, or are about to, become, parents but also about those who may need to take additional time off to care for a dependant, who might be a spouse or a parent, or a child.
Click here for guidance on requesting time off or adjustments
Much of this guidance is in the form of recommendations to dioceses and you should always check with your diocesan office/DDO/TEI about the provision in your diocese.
Early discussion is helpful and enables those responsible for supporting your training and ministry to plan in advance and make the necessary arrangements and ensure that legal requirements, for example about claiming statutory maternity and paternity pay are met.
Why we have produced guidance on supporting clergy and ordinands who become parents?
Guidance note to dioceses on policies to support clergy office holders who become parents suggests a minimum level of provision that should apply in all cases whether or not someone is eligible for Statutory Maternity Pay.
Guidance note on the legal entitlements of clergy office holders who become parents sets out the somewhat complex legal position (including the fact that different criteria are used to establish eligibility for maternity (and other) leave and maternity (and other) pay, and that, unlike employees, clergy office holders do not lose their entitlement to statutory maternity (and other) pay if they carry out work during their leave, and thus have no need for Keeping in Touch Days.
Guidance note to clergy office holders about to become parents is intended to help clergy who are about to go on maternity (and other) leave to think about the arrangements they need to make in advance before they take maternity (and other) leave. Dioceses may wish to use this as a basis for providing their own guidance.
Guidance note to dioceses and TEIs on policies for ordinands about to become parents suggests how to support ordinands who are about to become parents.
Parental Bereavement leave
Clergy do not, at present, have a legal entitlement to parental bereavement leave. Regulations to confer the same legal entitlement on clergy office holders that employees will have after 6 April 2020 have been drafted and it is hoped to bring them to the Synod in July 2020.
The overriding consideration has to be treating bereaved parents compassionately Bishops are encouraged to ensure that clergy are given the appropriate amount of special leave, which is likely to exceed the statutory two week minimum provided for in the regulations.