PGR Parental Leave

1.2.1 All research students registered at the University of Warwick are eligible to up to 2 weeks of paternity leave by suspending their studies, if they are:

• the partner of the person who will give birth, or
• the partner of the primary adopter, or
• the intended parent through a surrogacy arrangement

and

• also have or expect to have responsibility for the child’s upbringing

1.2.2 Where the student is in receipt of funding, entitlement to paid paternity leave and an extension to their funded period is determined by the conditions of their funding. Students who are unsure about the source of their funding should contact their Department Postgraduate Administrator for clarification.

• UKRI Training Grant and University (central or department) funding – 2 weeks stipend, taken in blocks of at least one week each.
• External funding – payment provided at the discretion of the funder, to be confirmed by the department.
• Self-funding, unfunded, and fees-only – no payment provided during paternity leave.

1.3.1 Partners are entitled to an extended period of unpaid parental leave, up to a maximum of 50 weeks suspension of study. Unpaid parental leave must be completed within 12 months of the birth of the child. This leave may be taken in up to three blocks of leave or all at once. Unpaid parental leave is available to those who meet the following eligibility criteria:

• They must share responsibility for the child with their husband/wife/civil partner, or the child’s other parent, or their partner (if they live with them) and they must provide a written statement from the other parent to confirm this; and
• They must be taking the leave to look after the child; and
• The terms and conditions of their studentship must not specifically exclude the taking of such leave.

1.3.2 The student should apply for a TWD as outlined above. All applications should be submitted with a statement from the parent in receipt of the paid maternity or adoption leave, confirming that the applicant for unpaid parent leave is their husband/wife/civil partner, or the child’s other parent.

1.4.1 Students who are planning to or who have become parents through adoption are entitled to the same support and advice as other students who become parents during their studies, and the processes, leave allowances and stipend payments outlined in this policy apply equally.

1.4.2 It is acknowledged that the timeframe for adoption arrangements may not allow as much time for planning in comparison with a pregnant student, and where this is the case, the student and the member of staff will follow the principles and processes as far as they are able.

1.4.3 Where two students are jointly adopting, only one member of the couple can be considered as the primary caregiver, who will be entitled to be considered for maternity-related absence. The other partner will be afforded the same entitlements as is outlined for partners entitled to paternity leave and unpaid parental leave.

1.4.4 All references to adoption and adoption leave include circumstances where individuals foster a child for adoption or are ‘Parental Order’ intended parents in a surrogacy arrangement.

1.5.1 Pregnant students and their partners should be supported in attending antenatal or medical appointments.

1.5.2 Pregnant students should be granted leave from their studentship to attend antenatal and medical appointments with no deduction from their stipend. A student who is a partner of someone who is pregnant should be permitted leave to attend a minimum of two antenatal appointments, for a maximum of 6.5 hours per appointment. No funded extension will be added for these periods.

2.1.1 Any research student applying for maternity, paternity, unpaid parental or adoption leave should apply for either Temporary Withdrawal (TWD) or, where appropriate to comply with visa regulations, Authorised Absence (AA), for the relevant period.

2.1.2 Requests for TWD for parental leave should be discussed with supervisors and made through Student Records Online as early as possible to ensure continuity of payments. All requests require the following supporting evidence:

• An NHS MAT1B form or equivalent medical letter (in English, noting the expected due date, issued approximately 15 weeks before the expected week of birth and normally provided by the midwife), or
• Evidence of placement of a child for adoption
• In order to support the funding processes for Parental Leave requested TWD start and end dates should be inclusive of the last day of study before the leave period starts, and the first day of study after the leave period ends. E.g. if a student intends to be absent for 1^st February to the 31^st July their TWD request should be dated 31st January to 1^st August.

2.1.3 When the TWD is granted, the student’s submission date will be amended, and the student will be notified of their new submission date by email.

2.1.4 Unless specifically requested (following the process in section 2.2), periods of temporary withdrawal or authorised absence are unfunded. Regular stipend payments automatically pause, resuming only upon resumption of active study.

2.2.1 Where the period of maternity leave is to be paid (see section 1.1.2), alongside submitting a TWD or AA request to Student Records Online, the Maternity Pay Form must also be completed and submitted.

2.2.2 Stipend payments during parental leave will only be processed upon receipt of a completed application form. While requests for TWD or AA will be processed without a maternity pay form, no stipend payments will be released without one. It is the student’s responsibility to provide a fully completed maternity pay form.

2.2.3 Where the period of paternity leave is to be paid (see section 1.2.2), alongside submitting a TWD or AA request to Student Records Online, the Paternity Pay Form must also be completed and submitted.

2.2.4 Once TWD or AA is approved, the PGR Funding Team will make any appropriate changes to the student’s stipend payments as informed by the relevant application form.

• Wellcome Trust Maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave

2.3.1 Students who are currently on paid maternity or adoption leave are entitled to up to ten Keeping in Touch (KiT) days. KiT days are for students to undertake activities related to their research project during their leave, agreed between the student and the supervisor in advance. KiT days are paid as whole days at the standard UKRI rate, less any parental leave pay that the student is already receiving. Requests for payment of KiT days can be submitted using the KiT day form.

2.3.2 Payment for KiT days is capped at the UKRI standard rate.

2.3.3 Students will receive a normal day’s stipend when undertaking a KiT day. Payment for KiT days will amount to a normal day’s full stipend inclusive of any current maternity payments. For example, during the period of maternity leave if the individual is receiving full stipend, no further payment would be due. If a student works their KiT day(s) during a period of SMP, their stipend will be enhanced to their full rate, and if work takes place during a period of unpaid maternity/adoption leave, they should be paid the equivalent of their normal daily stipend rate. Any number of hours worked in a day constitutes one KIT day.

In the case of students who have or have held a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) contract, advice should be sought from the GTA Team about eligibility for Statutory Maternity Pay.

2.4.1 In all cases, advice should be sought from the Immigration and Compliance Team as early as possible (especially in the case of a pregnancy) to ensure compliance with the student visa can be maintained.

2.4.2 In the case of students sponsored by the University under UKVI student visa, temporary withdrawal due to parental leave may require the University to withdraw sponsorship and for the student to return to their home country for the duration of the leave. In such cases, students will thereafter need to apply to the University for a new CAS number to apply for a new visa to resume their studies.

2.4.3 All requests for parental leave must be made in good time to permit time for approval of the request and to ensure travel home can be made following the report of the suspension to the UKVI.

2.4.4 In lieu of taking a formal suspension, a student who is sponsored on a UKVI student visa may be able to request a period of authorised absence for the purpose of parental leave. Should the student also require an extension to their period of study, they can apply separately for an academic extension.

2.4.5 In order to claim stipend payments during authorised absence for parental leave, the student must submit the following documents to pgscholarships@warwick.ac.uk, stating that this paid parental leave claim relates to a period of Authorised Absence and not a formal temporary withdrawal:

• A MATB1 form, equivalent medical letter or evidence of placement of a child for adoption, and
• a maternity/adoption or paternity pay application form

2.4.6 Stipend payments can only continue for up to:

• The total length of the period of authorised absence, or
• Until the end of the registration period, or
• The submission of the thesis for examination, whichever is sooner.

2.5.1 Students should return to studies at the University in a full or part-time (60% FTE) capacity, for at least three months full time (five months part-time) following maternity or adoption leave, or until they successfully submit their thesis for examination.

2.5.2 Should a student not return to their studies after the period of parental leave, any stipend paid above the prevailing reduced SMP rate during that period will normally be recovered by the University. This requirement can be waived only in exceptional circumstances, with approval on a case-by-case basis by the Chair of the Board of Graduate Studies.

2.5.3 Students who require further suspension to their studies beyond the maximum entitlement of parental leave, may apply for a further temporary withdrawal through student records online.

2.5.4 Upon returning to studies after a period of parental leave, student who wish to change to/from part time study may submit a change of mode of attendance through student records online.