Continuous and flexible arrangements
By default, take 16 or 12 weeks continuously starting 4 weeks before childbirth, including rest days, non-working days and holidays. By agreement start anytime within that 4-week window, keep the first 8 weeks continuous and use the remaining 8 or 4 weeks flexibly within 12 months after birth. For an expected 7 July birth, the example start window is 9 June–7 July.
| Entitlement | Flexible portion | Cap |
|---|---|---|
| 16 weeks | 8 × weekly workdays | 48 working days |
| 12 weeks | 4 × weekly workdays | 24 working days |
Example and advance discussion
Flexible leave excludes rest days, non-working days and public holidays. A 5-day week gives 8 × 5 = 40 flexible days under 16-week entitlement; taking 2 per week uses them over 20 weeks. Give at least one week’s notice for 12-week leave, or 4 weeks for GPML from 1 April 2025. Discuss early, including half-days or 3-day weeks, performance assessment, returning to a continuous block and bringing flexible leave forward if resigning.