Family Leave

If you are new to NDCN and have children, or if you are thinking about starting a family, this page will provide a useful signpost to sources of information and support. 

The University policies on maternity, paternity, adoption and parental emergency apply to all University staff and are very detailed. Please feel free to contact hr@ndcn.ox.ac.uk at any point to have a confidential conversation about your plans.

Most awards and grants allow for period of parental leave, but each scheme will have different rules. Please contact the Research Awards Team to enquire about the rules for the grant you are being paid from, and keep HR informed.

Maternity Leave

Detailed information about maternity leave entitlement and the relevant forms can be found at HR Support webpage.

All pregnant employees can take up to 52 weeks of maternity leave, taken in one continuous block and in full weeks. They can choose how much leave to take, but must take at least 2 weeks off after the birth (this is compulsory maternity leave).

There are two types of maternity pay, statutory pay and contractual pay (enhanced rate of pay, which supplements the statutory rate). If eligible, the mother may receive a combination of both.

Future mothers may be interested in Keeping in Touch (KIT) Days. Feeling 'out of touch' on returning to work after maternity leave is a common problem. KIT days are a way of enabling women to spend the odd day at work if they want to, while they are on maternity leave. You are allowed a maximum of 10 KIT days during maternity leave and you are entitled to be paid for the work that you do on these days if you are receiving SMP only or you are not receiving pay.

There is a maximum limit of 10 KIT days allowed under the new regulations and once a woman has used up her 10 KIT day and she does any further work, she will lose a week's SMP for the week in the Maternity Pay Period in which she has done that work.

If you wish to do KIT days, you must agree the hours in advance with your line manager and keep HR informed.

Short-term contracts and maternity leave

If you become pregnant while on a short-term contract and before you have met the required 26 weeks continuous service for statutory pay purposes, you will need to check your statutory rights to maternity leave. Please contact HR if you have any questions.

If you have changed employers, you may have questions regarding who is responsible for your maternity pay. For example, if you are employed as a graduate student in the Department and then receive an individual fellowship you would be classified as having continuous employment with the University because your pay comes via the University payroll. Therefore the University would be responsible for your maternity pay.

But, if you are employed as a graduate student in the Department and then take a position with the NHS, you would no longer be on the University payroll as your pay would now be coming from the NHS, not the University. Therefore, if you have not fulfilled the continuous service requirement, the decision on whether to pay you maternity pay would be taken by the NHS.

If you are funded on a grant or a fellowship, take care to check whether your contract will be extended by the length of your maternity leave.

Paternity/Partner Leave

Paternity/partner leave is an entitlement to time off that may be taken by the biological father, the mother's partner (regardless of gender or marital status) or primary adopter following the birth or adoption of their child. It is intended to support parents in the early stages of a child's life/adoption.

All eligible employees can take up to 2 weeks' leave which may be available at full pay. Paternity/partner leave must be taken during the first year after the child is born or placed with them for adoption.

Leave can be taken either as a single block of 1 or 2 weeks, or 2 separate blocks of 1 week. It cannot be taken in individual days.

The University’s HR web page offers good guidance about paternity/partner leave. It is advisable to share your plans with your line manager and the HR at your earliest convenience.​

Oxford University Additional Parental/Partner Leave (OUAPPL)

Complementing the above statutory paternity/partner leave, the oxford university additional paternity/partner leave scheme provides extra paid leave for eligible new fathers or partners of new mothers or primary adopters.

Effective from 31 January 2025, this contractual benefit offers up to 10 additional weeks of paid leave on top of the statutory two weeks’ paternity leave, meaning eligible individuals can take up to 12 weeks’ fully paid leave to support the family after the birth or placement of a child. This leave is intended for partners sharing caring responsibilities and must be used within the first year following the birth or adoption.

You can find further information about Oxford University Additional Parental/Partner Leave (OUAPPL) on the University's HR web page.

Shared parental leave (ShPL)

Shared parental leave allows eligible parents to share the leave entitlement that arises from maternity or adoption leave and pay.

The mother or primary adopter may choose to end their maternity or adoption leave early and convert the unused portion into shared parental leave and pay, which can then be taken by either parent in blocks of whole weeks.

The total period that can be shared is drawn from the 52-week parental leave period immediately following birth or adoption, with up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of statutory pay available to be shared between both parents.

Parents can take this leave flexibly, including taking separate blocks and returning to work in between periods of leave, provided eligibility criteria are met. Both parents must satisfy statutory eligibility conditions to use this scheme, see eligibility and more on this at shared parental leave.

Neonatal Care Leave and Pay (NCLP)

Neonatal care leave and pay provides additional support in cases where a baby requires neonatal care.

Parents whose newborns are admitted to neonatal care for at least seven full days within the first 28 days of life are entitled to up to 12 weeks of leave and pay, calculated based on the weeks the baby spent in care.

This statutory scheme is enhanced by the University so that eligible staff continue to receive their normal full rate of pay during this period, and it ensures parents have time away from work to care for their baby once neonatal care ends. NCLP is a day-one entitlement and applies alongside other family leave entitlements, supplementing rather than replacing them. Please see HR web page for further information on neonatal care leave and pay.

Fertility treatment Leave

Recognising the challenges of fertility treatment, the University’s fertility treatment leave framework supports employees undergoing such treatment.

Eligible staff are entitled to up to 2 working days of paid leave in any 12 month period to allow the individual some time to deal with the logistical or emotional effects of fertility investigations or interventions.

Time off for treatment is treated sensitively and can be requested in advance or retrospectively, and employees can also combine this entitlement with other forms of leave (annual, unpaid, or sickness leave) where appropriate.

Eligible staff are encouraged to discuss their situation with their line manager or with HR. The University's web page provides further guidance on fertility treatment leave.

Parental Bereavement Leave

In the tragic event of the death of a child under the age of 18 (including stillbirth after 24 completed weeks of pregnancy), the University’s parental bereavement leave policy offers 2 weeks of paid leave at the employee’s normal full rate of pay.

This entitlement is a Day One benefit available regardless of length of service and can be taken as two consecutive or two separate weeks.

All leave must be taken within 56 weeks of the child’s death or stillbirth, with appropriate notice requirements depending on how far from the date of loss the leave is taken. This scheme also interacts with other family leave types if those are in place when the loss occurs. Please find further information on the HR web page on parental bereavement leave.

Students and family leave

The Health and Welfare section of the Student Gateway and the Oxford University Student Union website offer more information for student parents. It is also recommended that you contact your Senior Tutor at College.