Paternity pay and contract work

[ILikeCake]

Anyone in the know about paternity leave and contracts?

I work for a University as a researcher. The projects I have worked on are all short term contracts.

Wife is preggers and I would like to take paternity leave in mid October. My current contract is for 20 months and ends mid September. The university have offered a new contract for a different project that would follow on from my current one (so there would be no gap in employment).

The direct.gov guidelines are to qualify for paternity pay you have to... "have been continuously employed by your employer for at least 26 weeks up to any day in the ‘qualifying week’"

As I understand it, I will have been employed by the university for well over 26 weeks and so will qualify. But I wasn't sure if the new contract would 'reset' the date.

Any advice is appreciated!

[Eric Mc]

Are you an "employee"?

[rsbmw]

Depends if you're an employee I suppose, but frankly paternity pay is a pittance anyway, just take a couple of weeks off.

[ILikeCake]

Yep, I'm an employee of the university. On PAYE, sick leave, pension etc.

It is a pittance but it buys a few nappies!

[rsbmw]

But if you're an employee you can use your standard annual leave on full pay

[ILikeCake]

Full pay on leave would be better, but...

My current allocation of annual leave can't be carried forward onto the new contract. Under the new 4 month contract I accrue around 7 days leave, which I'll be using as well as paternity.

I was more wondering if I'd qualify for statutory paternity leave pay. I think I do, but am not 100% sure due to the change of contract. Any experts on here?

[rsbmw]

Honestly I'm surprised they can move you from one PAYE fixed term contract to another and wipe out your accrued benefits (holiday). This sounds like the employment period isn't classed as continuous, which may also reset the clock on paternity pay.

[Eric Mc]

Are you a member of a union?

Do you have access to a union representative?

[edc]

It sounds obvious but have you asked your employer?

[ILikeCake]

Thanks for the advice.

Since starting this thread I've been offered a new job elsewhere, so am moving anyway! Sorry to waste yout time!

[Dr Slotter]

In case anyone finds this in the future, nearly all research intensive universities, and I imagine many of teaching intensive ones, would regard the OPs situation as a 'continuation of employment' so nothing would be reset. The vast majority of researchers are funded by external sources (research councils, industry, charities etc.) on specific fixed term projects and it is very common for career researchers to work continuously but on a series of legitimate fixed term employment contracts.