Employees who are parents of neonates requiring hospital care are entitled to and from day one of employment, in line with the . Eligible employees can take up to of leave, which can be taken continuously or intermittently, within the first year after the baby's birth.
To qualify, employees must meet the following criteria:
- Be the biological parent, adopter, or legal guardian of the neonate.
- The neonate must require hospital care for a continuous period of at least 7 days.
is provided at a statutory rate, with eligibility based on meeting the minimum earnings requirement. Employees must notify their line manager or HR department as soon as possible and provide relevant documentation from the hospital to confirm the need for leave.
Upon return, employees are entitled to return to their role or an equivalent position. The policy supports the wellbeing of employees with access to mental health resources and flexible working arrangements upon return.
This policy will be reviewed regularly to ensure compliance with current legislation.
This section is for pregnant employees and new mothers. It details their rights, which fall into three main categories:
- Paid time off for antenatal care
- Maternity leave
- Maternity benefits
You are entitled to be paid your normal rate of pay for any appointments during working hours related to antenatal care. In order to receive payment an appointment card must be produced confirming the appointment and you will be expected to return to work after keeping your appointment wherever possible.
When a certificate confirming pregnancy is issued (MATB1), this must be handed in as soon as possible.
You are entitled to 26 weeks’ ordinary maternity leave and have the right to return to work in your previous job. These rights apply regardless of length of service, or the number of hours worked.
If you work full time, you have the right to return to your full-time position but you do not have the right to return part time. However, your employer will discuss any request for part time work and on request consider offering part time work. Requests should be made in writing to your employer, giving as much notice as possible.
You can start your ordinary maternity leave at any time from the 11th week before the expected week of childbirth (EWC) and there is a two-week compulsory maternity leave period following the birth.
Throughout the ordinary maternity leave period, all your terms and conditions of employment are maintained with the sole exception of pay.
Additional maternity leave starts at the end of the ordinary maternity leave period and ends 26 weeks later. As with ordinary maternity leave, all your terms and conditions of employment are maintained throughout this period with the sole exception of pay.
If you become pregnant, we would encourage you to notify your Nursery Manager as soon as possible. We then ask that you notify Hopscotch Head Office in writing.
You must notify Hopscotch Head Office in writing by the 15th week before the EWC of the following:
- That you are pregnant
- The EWC (Expected Week of Childbirth)
- The date on which you intend to start your maternity leave.
This enables Hopscotch to complete a pregnancy risk assessment and decide whether any reasonable adjustments need to be carried out. This also helps plan future staffing situations.
You must also provide a certificate (normally a MATB1 form) stating the EWC. This is usually at the next antenatal appointment after 21 weeks pregnancy. We will then write to you within 28 days to confirm your date of return to work. You can change the date on which you intend to start your maternity leave by giving your employer at least 28 days written notice.
Although you do not need any qualifying service or to work a minimum number of hours to be entitled to maternity leave or the right to return to work, in order to qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) from your employer, you need to have the following:
- At least 26 weeks continuous service at the end of the 15th week before the EWC (this is known as the “qualifying week” for maternity pay purposes)
- Average earnings above the National Insurance lower earnings limit during the eight weeks before the qualifying week.
If you meet these conditions, you are entitled to a maximum of 39 weeks SMP which is calculated as:
- Six weeks at 90% of average weekly earnings
- 33 weeks at the lesser of the lower rate of SMP or 90% of average weekly earnings.
If you do not qualify for SMP you may be entitled to Maternity Allowance (MA). A SMP1 form will be issued for you to claim any maternity benefit that you may be entitled to from HMRC.
You may be entitled to receive Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) from Hopscotch if you have worked from the beginning of your pregnancy into the 15th week before the week when you expect to have your baby (the 26th week of pregnancy).
Hopscotch will inform you of maternity pay and leave entitlement in writing.
If you have worked with us for at least 2 years, you will be eligible for our enhanced maternity package. This involves:
- Full pay for the first 12 weeks
- Followed by statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) rate for 27 weeks
If you are absent from work because of a pregnancy related illness or reason at any time during the four weeks before your EWC, the ordinary maternity leave period begins on the first day of absence. If the pregnancy related absence began before the fourth week, then the ordinary maternity leave period begins at the start of the fourth week.
If you are absent from work and the illness is not pregnancy related, the maternity leave period will begin on the date you have previously notified.
If you are absent from work in the weeks leading up to your maternity leave it may affect the higher rate of SMP (90% of normal pay) because it is based on your average earnings in the eight weeks prior to the qualifying week.
If you take the full entitlement to maternity leave your return date will be the date previously notified to you by your employer. If you wish to return early you must give your employer eight weeks’ written notice of your early return date. Your early return may be delayed if this procedure is not followed.
If you intend to return to work at the end of your maternity leave but fail to do so, your employer’s normal rules regarding absence will apply.
Keeping in Touch (KiT) Days
Employees may, by agreement with Hopscotch, attend for up to 10 days paid work during their maternity leave without affecting their maternity pay. These “Keeping in Touch” (KiT) days may be used to attend training or meetings but are not compulsory.
Employees at Hopscotch may take 1 or 2 weeks of paternity leave following the birth or adoption of a child.
Leave can be taken as:
- one continuous block of 1 or 2 weeks, or
- two separate one-week blocks.
The entitlement is the same even if there is a multiple birth, such as twins.
A week of paternity leave is the same number of days you normally work in a week. For example, if you normally work two days per week, one week of paternity leave will be two days.
Paternity leave:
- cannot start before the birth of the child
- must be taken within 52 weeks of the birth or adoption placement
You should give Hopscotch at least 28 days’ notice of your intention to take paternity leave where possible.
You do not need to provide an exact start date. For example, you may state that leave will begin:
- on the date of birth, or
- a specified period after the birth.
Employees should also inform their manager as soon as reasonably possible that they intend to take paternity leave so that staffing arrangements can be planned.
Employees may take unpaid time off to attend up to two antenatal appointments with the pregnant person if they are:
- the baby’s father
- the pregnant person’s spouse, civil partner or partner, including same-sex partners
- in a long-term relationship with the pregnant person
- the intended parent in a surrogacy arrangement
Employees who meet the statutory requirements may receive Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP).
SPP is paid at:
- the statutory weekly rate set by the Government, or
- 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.
SPP is paid through payroll and is subject to tax and National Insurance deductions.
From April 2026, employees are entitled to paternity leave from their first day of employment, provided they:
- have responsibility for the child’s upbringing
- are the child’s father, partner, spouse, civil partner, adopter or intended parent in a surrogacy arrangement
- give the required notice.
Eligibility for Statutory Paternity Pay may still depend on meeting statutory earnings and service requirements.
Employees may still qualify for paternity leave and pay if the baby is:
- stillborn from 24 weeks of pregnancy, or
- born alive at any stage of the pregnancy.
Employees should notify Hopscotch of their intention to take paternity leave by completing the required declaration form.
You will need to confirm:
- the baby’s due date
- when you want your leave to start
- whether you will take 1 or 2 weeks of leave
Proof of pregnancy or birth is not normally required.
Annual leave continues to accrue during paternity leave. Employees may request to take annual leave immediately before or after their paternity leave, subject to the normal leave approval process.
Employees who take paternity leave have the right to return to the same job on the same terms and conditions as before their leave.
If the child’s mother or primary adopter dies, the surviving partner may be entitled to take Bereaved Partner’s Paternity Leave and Statutory Paternity Pay, provided they meet the statutory eligibility requirements.
This leave allows the surviving partner to take time off to care for the child. Leave must normally be taken within 56 days of the birth or the death of the mother or adopter.
Employees should contact Hopscotch as soon as possible to discuss their circumstances so that appropriate support and leave arrangements can be put in place.
Hopscotch recognises that this is an extremely difficult situation and will work sensitively with the employee to provide appropriate support.
How it works
You and your partner may be able to get Shared Parental Leave (SPL) and Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) if you’re:
- having a baby
- using a surrogate to have a baby
- adopting a child
- fostering a child who you’re planning to adopt
You can share up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay between you.
You need to share the pay and leave in the first year after your child is born or placed with your family.
You can use SPL to take leave in blocks separated by periods of work, or take it all in one go. You can also choose to be off work together or to stagger the leave and pay.
When you take time off to adopt a child or have a child through a surrogacy arrangement you might be eligible for:
- Statutory Adoption Leave
- Statutory Adoption Pay
There are rules on when and how to claim your paid leave and if you want to change your dates.
Statutory Adoption Leave is 52 weeks. It’s made up of:
- 26 weeks of Ordinary Adoption Leave
- 26 weeks of Additional Adoption Leave
Only 1 person in a couple can take adoption leave. The other partner could get paternity leave instead. If you get adoption leave, you can also get paid time off work to attend 5 adoption appointments after you’ve been matched with a child.
Adoption leave can start:
- up to 14 days before the date the child starts living with you (UK adoptions)
- when the child arrives in the UK or within 28 days of this date (overseas adoptions)
- the day the child’s born or the day after (if you’ve used a surrogate to have a child)
Statutory Adoption Pay
Statutory Adoption Pay is paid for up to 39 weeks. The weekly amount is:
- 90% of your average weekly earnings for the first 6 weeks
- Statutory Adoption Pay or 90% of your average weekly earnings (whichever is lower) for the next 33 weeks
It’s paid in the same way as your wages (for example monthly or weekly). Tax and National Insurance will be deducted.
If an employee has a death of a child under the age of 18 or suffers a stillbirth from 24 weeks of pregnancy, all employees will be entitled to two weeks paid leave.
Statutory Parental Bereavement Leave can be taken in the 56 weeks following their child's death.
If more than one child dies, the employee is entitled to 2 weeks' Statutory Parental Bereavement Leave for each child.
Anyone classed as a worker is not entitled to Statutory Parental Bereavement Leave. But they might be entitled to 2 weeks' Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay for time they take off.
Support will be given, including making reasonable adjustments on the return to work and further ongoing support will be provided.
'Flexible working' is a phrase that describes any working pattern adapted to suit an employee’s needs. Common types of flexible working are:
- part-time: working less than the normal hours, perhaps by working fewer days per week
- flexi-time: choosing when to work (there's usually a core period during which you have to work)
- job sharing: sharing a job designed for one person with someone else
- Working from home
- Compressed hours - Working full-time hours but over fewer days
- Staggered hours - The employee has different start, finish and break times from other workers.
The law provides employees with the statutory right to request a flexible working pattern from day one of employment.
Under the law Hopscotch must seriously consider any application you make. Although you have the right to ask for flexible working – you do not the right to have it. If you have the statutory right to apply, then there is a process you must follow.
You should bear in mind that under the statutory procedure the process of making a request and your employer considering it can take up to 2 months. So if you are thinking about changing your work pattern, you should contact Hopscotch as early as possible. You should also be aware that if Hopscotch agrees to your request, then this may result in a permanent change to your contract of employment.
Your request for Flexible Working should be made in writing to the HR & Payroll Manager. A decision will be made and you will be notified within 2 months. You may be invited to a meeting to discuss your request if more information is needed.
If Hopscotch is considering declining your request, you will be invited to a consultation meeting.
Employees are entitled to take unpaid parental leave to care for a child under the age of 18.
From April 2026, employees have the right to take parental leave from the first day of employment.
Each parent may take up to 18 weeks of parental leave per child. A maximum of four weeks per child per year may normally be taken.
Parental leave must usually be taken in blocks of one week, unless the child is disabled, in which case leave may be taken in single days.
Employees must give at least 21 days’ notice of their intention to take parental leave.
The Company may postpone parental leave for operational reasons, where permitted by legislation, but will work with employees to agree an alternative date.
At Hopscotch, we value the well-being and work-life balance of our employees. As part of our commitment to supporting our team, we are pleased to offer a 50% discount on childcare fees and enrichment fees to all permanent employees. This benefit is designed to ease the financial burden of childcare and help you focus on your professional and personal growth.
This discount is available to all permanent employees of Hopscotch.
Once your child is registered at one of our nurseries, the discount will be automatically applied.
The 50% discount will be reflected in your Famly invoices, ensuring a seamless and hassle-free experience.
We hope this benefit makes a positive impact on your family’s daily life. If you have any questions or need assistance with the registration process, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Head Office Team.