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some background: I work in the UK as a software developer for a US technology company. My line manager is based in the US.

My wife and I are expecting a child. My wife is taking 6 months of leave after the birth.

In the UK, there is mechanism called Shared Parental Leave that would allow me to take some leave as well. Details are complicated, but in short I am planning to stay at home for two months, 1 months after the birth and 1 months after my wife returns to work.

I believe that the parental leave in US is usually much less generous. Therefore I am a bit nervous about communicating my plans to my US line manager. He has kids as well but I don't think he took much leave after their birth.

Any thoughts or advice?

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    What's your actual goal here? How to legally communicate this or how to communicate this so that your manager is magically happy? (Spoiler: there is no way to guarantee the second)
    – Philip Kendall
    Aug 13 at 22:14
  • Hi @PhilipKendall, I guess I want to maximise the probability that my manager is happy. :-)
    – hector01
    Aug 15 at 20:26
  • "Hi @PhilipKendall, I guess I want to maximise the probability that my manager is happy. :-)". No!!! Even if your boss is jealous/upset, that's not your problem. Follow the law to the letter. Make sure your rights are enforced. Communicate in writing. Make sure HR is looped in. This is not a debate.
    – Stephan Branczyk
    Aug 19 at 17:50

2 Answers 2

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You are employed in the UK, so UK law applies. And your manager would know that UK law applies.

Now your manager may not know UK law. In that case, first you tell him what the law is. You will easily find some website explaining it.

If that doesn’t help, you might have someone in your company who is competent in UK employment law to tell him, for example someone in HR.

If that doesn’t help, your company should have a lawyer who they can ask for Uk legal advice (obviously paid for by the company). Even their tax adviser is likely able to tell them.

In the unlikely case that they have no lawyer advising them, any employment lawyer should be able to write down a letter explaining the law, basically giving expert advice to the company. Obviously your company would have to pay for that advice.

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This is one of those times you should talk to HR. What leave law applies to your situation has to be understood by all. You need to know what leave and pay your are entitled to, and what protections you have. The company needs to know what they are required to do, and what you are required to do.

This isn't a management issue, it is an benefits issue that HR needs to address so that the company and management don't get in trouble.

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