Adoption leave has the same conditions and entitlements as the maternity leave policy, with the following key differences:

You are eligible for adoption leave if:

• the adoption is through an adoption agency, and you can provide a matching certificate

• the other partner is not taking adoption leave (although they could potentially be taking

  paternity leave and/or shared parental leave).

• If the adoption is from overseas, your employer must receive a copy of written notification from the relevant UK authority that the adoption has been approved

• adoption pay is paid for 39 weeks at the same rates as with SMP

• adoption leave can start on the date of placement or up to 14 days earlier

• if the adoption is from overseas, adoption leave commences on the day the child enters the United Kingdom or not later than 28 days after this date.

Time off for adoption appointments

You are entitled to time off to attend adoption appointments between notification of a match and the date of placement. For single adopters or the main adopters in a joint adoption, you are entitled to paid time off to attend up to five appointments, with a maximum of six and a half hours per appointment. The adopter's partner in a joint adoption will be entitled to unpaid time off to attend up to two appointments.

Where the time is paid, you will be paid at your normal hourly rate for this time.

If the main adopter's partner wishes to attend more than two adoption appointments, he/she should speak to his/her line manager, who will consider the request at their discretion.

Notification requirements

In order to take time off for adoption appointments, the Company may require you to provide confirmation of the following to your line manager:

• that you would like to take either time off and state whether this will be the paid or unpaid entitlement
• the date and time of the appointment
• that the appointment has been arranged by or at the request of the adoption agency.

Eligibility

You are entitled to adoption leave from the commencement of employment. Adoption leave is not available in circumstances where a child is not newly matched for adoption, for example, when a stepparent is adopting a partner's child/children. You must have notified the adoption agency of the agreement to the placement and of the agreement to the date of the placement.