PeopleMuster

Paternity leave letter

Paternity leave is short and its start date is a guess. A letter that works has to survive the baby arriving a fortnight early, so it fixes the length and leaves the start loose.

Send this a few weeks before the due date. Follow it with a one-line message when the leave actually starts, because it almost never starts on the day you wrote down.

Subject: Paternity leave — [your name]

Hello [manager's name],

My partner's due date is [due date]. I would like to take [number] days of paternity leave around the birth.

As the timing is not in my hands, I will message you on the day it starts and confirm my return date then.

To prepare:

- [colleague] will pick up [duty] at short notice
- [task] will be finished before [due date]
- my notes on [process] are in [location]

[your name]

Then, on the day:

[manager's name] — baby arrived this morning. Starting my [number] days of paternity leave today. Back on [return day]. [colleague] has [duty].

What to put in each blank

[number]
The days your employer allows. Confirm the figure with HR before you write it down.
[duty]
Whatever cannot survive a fortnight untouched. Brief the colleague before the due date.
[location]
Where the notes live. A link beats a filename.

Before you send it

  • Brief your cover early. An early arrival gives you no time to explain anything.
  • Agree the trigger message with your manager up front, so a two-line text is genuinely enough on the day.
  • Ask HR what proof is needed and whether the days must be taken together. Employers differ on both.

Paternity leave is configured as its own type with its own yearly allowance

Questions people ask about this letter

When does paternity leave start?

Usually on the day of the birth or shortly after, and some employers let you choose. The date you wrote in advance is an estimate, not a commitment.

Can I split the days up?

Some workplaces allow it, others want the days taken in one block. Ask before you plan around splitting them.

What if the birth is early or late?

Send your manager one line on the day. That is why the letter fixes the number of days rather than the start date.

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