New rules come into force on 1st October as part of the Children & Families Act 2014 giving fathers and partners of pregnant women the right to attend two antenatal appointments.
There is no continuous employment requirement to be entitled to this right, but employers are not obligated to pay the employee for the time they are absent from work.
Pregnant women remain entitled to be paid their usual salary whilst attending antenatal appointments.
Employers can require documentary evidence that an employee qualifies for this right in the form of a written declaration stating his or her relationship with the pregnant woman and the unborn child, and providing evidence of the antenatal appointment details.