Attest’s Enhanced Parental Leave policy

Expecting a child is an exciting and challenging adventure and Attest provides enhanced parental leave to support new parents during this life transition.

In a nutshell, primary carers receive 18 weeks of fully paid parental leave and secondary carers receive 4 weeks of fully paid parental leave.

Who is eligible for it?

In the UK all employees of Attest are eligible for enhanced parental leave from your first day of employment.

Outside of the UK our parental leave policies have slight differences, depending on country and state. We’d be happy to discuss this with you if you’d like more information.

How does it work?

There are multiple elements to our enhanced parental leave:

Paid time off for antenatal care

We provide paid time off to attend antenatal appointments. This applies to all Attesters expecting a new born child, whether you’re pregnant themselves, a partner to someone who is pregnant, or expecting via a surrogate or adoption. This applies regardless of length of employment with Attest.

Enhanced parental leave

Attest offers additional paid leave for antenatal care to all Attesters expecting a child:

• Primary carers receive 18 weeks of fully paid parental leave
• Secondary carers receive 4 weeks of fully paid parental leave

Under our enhanced parental leave scheme, you can request to structure your parental leave flexibly to suit your needs and individual situation – regardless of whether you’re primary or secondary carer.

Shared parental leave

Shared parental leave allows eligible parents to convert maternity or adoption leave and pay into shared parental leave and pay. This can be shared by both parents in the first year.

Taking adoption or surrogacy leave

Only one person in a couple may take statutory adoption leave. Leave for adoption or surrogacy can begin:

• Up to 14 days before the date the child starts living with you (if adopting from the UK)
• When the child arrives in the UK or within 28 days of that date (if adopting from outside the UK)
• The day the child is born, or the day after (for surrogate or newborn adoption)

Employees not returning to work after parental leave

At Attest we don’t enforce any post-return clawbacks of payments made in excess of statutory pay entitlements. If you decide not to return after leave, we ask for as much notice as possible so we can make alternative arrangements.

Paid leave for pregnancy loss

We know that pregnancy loss can be a devastating experience whether it happens to you, your partner or the surrogate having your baby. It is sadly more common than people may think and so we are committed to supporting anyone experiencing this at Attest.

The loss can be devastating at any point during pregnancy, and we won’t assume to know how much leave is needed as everyone’s circumstances are different. But as a guide, for pregnancy loss before 24 weeks in the UK and 20 weeks in the US, we offer:

• Up to 4 weeks of paid leave for persons carrying
• Up to 2 weeks of paid leave for persons not carrying

There is no limit to the number of times you can take leave for pregnancy loss if you are sadly affected by more than one loss.

If the loss occurs after 24 weeks in the UK, the mother’s right to maternity leave continues. We have more info on our fertility treatment and family support policies in this post. Although we encourage Attesters to take time off to spend time with friends or family, we understand that everyone is different, and some people prefer to return to work before the end of maternity leave in these circumstances.

Why is this important to Attest?

Starting or growing your family is such an exciting time, but balancing work and family responsibilities can be challenging, particularly new parents. Enhanced parental leave allows you to take the time you need to bond with your child and adjust to your new family dynamics without worrying about work-related stressors.

Any further questions?

We have only given you an overview of the key areas of our Enhanced Parental Leave and Pregnancy Loss Policies. The policies themselves cover all eventualities.

Should you have a question, please reach out to [email protected]. And please rest assured that your enquiry will be treated in the utmost confidence.