Getting the right balance between work life and home life can be a challenge for anybody, but especially if you are a single parent. There are many things to consider, like managing your working hours around taking care of your family, taking time off if you need to look after a child’s needs, or taking a break from work for a while. Below we’ve set out some key information about the rules and procedures which are in place to help you manage your job and your parental responsibilities at the same time.

 

Taking Time Off

Dealing with an emergency

If there is an emergency or your child is ill, you are entitled to take a reasonable amount of time off, as long as the situation involves someone who is dependent on you. It could be that your child or a relative has fallen ill or been injured, your childcare arrangements have fallen through or there has been an incident at school. If you have a genuine reason for your absence, and you inform your employer as soon as is possible, your employer should not penalise you. It is up to them to decide whether or not they will pay you whilst you are off work. To find out how your employer approaches this, check your employment contract or ask about ‘dependant leave’ or ‘time off for dependants’. Normally you will be allowed one or two days to deal with the emergency, but if that’s not long enough you might want to consider taking annual leave.

Dealing with a bereavement

If your spouse or partner dies, you are entitled to take reasonable time off work to arrange and attend the funeral, and deal with other practical issues. What is considered ‘reasonable’ will depend on your individual circumstances but it is normally a few days, during which your employer does not have to pay you.

You may need to take additional time off, known as ‘compassionate leave’, which may be paid. It is likely that you will want to prioritise being with your children after a traumatic event; talk to your employer to see if you’re able to take extra time off. There is no legal right for an employer to grant compassionate leave, but you could instead ask for paid annual leave or, if you don’t feel fit enough to be in work, consider taking sick leave.

If you have become a single dad due to bereavement and your child is under one you may be entitled to shared parental leave.

Maternity leave

If you are pregnant you are legally entitled to maternity leave. Initially, you are able to take 26 weeks of maternity leave from your job, beginning from 11 weeks before your due date at the earliest. If you give birth to the baby before you start your maternity leave, the 26 weeks will begin from the day the baby is born. If you return to work within these 26 weeks, you’re entitled to return to the same job.

Additional maternity leave can be taken for another 26 weeks after the initial maternity leave. At the end of this leave, you have the right to return to your job so long as it is reasonable practicable for you to do so. If your employer is not able to offer you your old job, they have to offer you an alternative which has at least the same status and salary.

The pay you receive during your maternity leave will depend on how long you’ve worked for your employer, your average earnings and the terms and conditions of your employment.

Paternity leave

To qualify for paternity leave you must be:

• responsible for the care and upbringing of a child under one
• the child’s father / married to, or in a civil partnership with, the child’s mother / the partner of the child’s mother (including same-sex relationships)

Adoption

If you are adopting a child and you’ve worked for your employer for 26 weeks prior to the date that you’re matched with a child for adoption, you will be entitled to 52 weeks adoption leave, 39 weeks of which you might qualify to receive statutory adoption pay for.

Parental leave

To qualify for parental leave you must:

• have a child under the age of 18
• have been employed for at least one continuous year with your employer
• be named on the child’s birth or adoption certificate or have legal parental responsibility

Parental leave is aimed at allowing you to care for your child, for example:

• extending maternity, paternity or adoption leave
• extra time with your child in their early years
• time to spend with a child if they are in hospital
• looking for schools
• easing in new childcare
• allowing extra time for your family to spend together

In total, you may take up to 18 weeks parental leave for each of your children under 18 years old. Single parents who are self-employed are not entitled to parental leave. Parental leave must be taken a week at a time, unless your child receives Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment, in which case it can be taken a day at a time. You are required to give your employer at least 21 days’ notice before your parental leave, and each parent may not take more than four weeks in a year for each child. Your employer does not have to pay your for this leave.

Shared parental leave

If you have a partner, you may both be able to take shared parental leave, which might allow more flexible care options in the first year following the birth or adoption of a child. This can apply to couples living together as well as parents who do not live together. It is up to you whether you both take time off work at the same time, or whether you take it in turns to have time off to take care of your child. To qualify for shared parental leave, one parent must qualify for maternity or adoption leave, and the other must meet the employment and earnings test.

 

Working Hours

Changing/reducing hours

If you’ve recently become a single parent, you may find that the hours you used to work are no longer practical for you. As an employee you have a right to ask your employer to consider changing or reducing your hours so that they are more flexible and might fit better with your responsibilities as a parent. Examples of flexible working include:

• being able to choose how many hours you work and when
• compressing your usual amount of hours into fewer days
• working from home
• working fewer hours
• starting and/or finishing at a different time
• working during term-time only
• jobshare

You will not be entitled to ask for flexible working from your employer if:

• you are not an employee
• you are an employee shareholder
• you are an agency worker
• you are a member of the armed forces
• you have not worked for your employer for at least 26 weeks continuously
• have made an application for flexible working under this rule in the past 12 months

Although your employer does not have to accept your request for a change to your working hours, they have an obligation to seriously consider it, and can only reject your request if there are sound business reasons for doing so. Try to explain to your employer why you want to change your hours, and how you think they can accommodate this.

Remember, changing your working hours might affect the benefits and tax credits you’re entitled to.

Checking benefits and tax credits entitlement

Entitlement to benefits such as tax credits, housing benefit and child benefit depend on your income, so if your hours or income changes you may be entitled to receive any of the above.

Your employer wants to change your hours

If your employer wants to change your hours of work and the suggested change means you’re unable to manage your parental responsibilities, seek advice from Citizens advice or ACAS, who can provide free, impartial advice on employment law issues. You can also contact Working Families, who have written a useful article on this subject.

Problems at work

If you are experiencing problems at work, the organisation ACAS can provide advice on numerous issues including holiday pay, flexible working, stress at work, equality issues, bullying and information for parents. You can either visit their website at www.acas.org.uk or call them directly on 0300 123 1100.

Working Families can provide advice for working parents, including flexible working and rights in the workplace. Visit their website at www.workingfamilies.org.uk or call them on 0300 012 0312.

Maternity Action provides free, independent advice on your rights and entitlements regarding your pregnancy, maternity leave and return to work. Visit their website at www.maternityaction.org.uk or call 0845 600 8533 for more information.

 

Giving Up Work

If you decide to give up work you will need to find out about the support that is available to you and your family. If you’re planning on claiming benefits, get some advice before you hand in your notice, as you will want to know whether you will be able to claim benefits straight away, what your benefits calculation will be and how your income would change if you left your job.

If you have a child under 5 you can give up work and claim child support at any time without penalty, as long as you meet the other conditions of entitlement. If you do not have a child under 5 years old, you may instead be able to claim jobseekers allowance (JSA) if you are fit for work, or employment and support allowance if you have a debilitating illness, disability or health condition. It is important to note that you may be refused JSA for the first 13 weeks after giving up your job, if the Jobcentre does not consider you to have a good reason for leaving your job. Remember that if you’re claiming JSA, you will be required to be available for, and actively seeking, work. You are able to set the hours you’re looking for to suit your caring responsibilities, and there are some special rules that apply to single parents who are claiming JSA.