Adoption leave

What adoption leave and pay you're entitled to and how to plan your leave and return to work.

Taking adoption leave

Tell your manager you’re adopting

Let your manager know that you're adopting as soon as you're comfortable, even if you are not sure of the exact dates. As this will help with planning and putting support in place while they are at work.

The latest date that you will need to send your adoption leave notification form will depend on your circumstances:

UK adoption 

Within 7 days of being matched with a child (notification of match), you must tell your manager in writing:  

  • you're adopting a child  
  • the date you’re planning to start adoption leave  
  • the date the child will be placed with you  

Overseas adoption 

Within 28 days of being matched with a child (official notification), you must tell your manager in writing: 

  • you're adopting a child 
  • the date you’re planning to start adoption leave  
  • the date you received the notification of a match from the adoption agency 
  • the date the child is expected to arrive in the UK  

Telling your manager early on will help them plan cover while you’re on leave. It also gives you time to check how much adoption leave and pay you’re entitled to before confirming your start date.

Surrogacy

At least 15 weeks before the baby is due, you must tell your manager in writing:

  • that the child will live with you
  • that you intend to apply for a parental order within 6 months of the child’s birth
  • that you expect to be granted parental responsibility for child

Telling your manager early on will help them plan cover while you’re on leave. It also gives you time to check how much adoption leave and pay you’re entitled to before confirming your start date.

Tell payroll you’re adopting 

You need to tell payroll you’re adopting so they can make sure your pay is correct when you go on leave. 

Complete an Adoption leave notification form

Once you have been matched with a child, you should complete an Adoption leave notification form (DOC, 92KB) (or the Overseas adoption leave notification form (DOC, 45KB) and upload it to the Assyst portal. 

You’ll need to include the:  

  • date you want to start adoption leave  
  • date you were notified of being matched with a child, along with proof of the adoption (for example the matching certificate from the adoption agency) 
  • date you expect the child to be placed with you or the date the child will arrive in the UK

Payroll will send you a letter with the adoption pay you’re entitled to and the latest date you can return to work.  

Tell your manager your adoption leave start date

Tell your manager the date that you intend to start your adoption leave as soon as you can.  

Managers complete a ML1 form

Your manager must complete a ML1 form (DOCX, 69KB) and upload it to the  Assyst portal, so you get paid the right amount.

If you need to change your adoption leave start date, ask your manager to complete and upload a new Adoption leave start date form to the Assyst portal. 

Preparing to go on adoption leave 

Handover and staying in touch  

Meet with your manager to plan the handover of your work while you are on adoption leave.  
 
Agree you you're going to stay in touch with your manager with you're away. For example, you might want to use your work or personal email, phone or text.  

Your manager must contact you about anything that might affect your role or team while you are on adoption leave, such as reorganisation or redundancies.

You may find our guidance on taking long-term leave useful when planning your leave.

Make a record of your outstanding holiday balance 

While you are on adoption leave you will continue to accrue both annual leave and bank holiday entitlement. My Oracle will only automatically transfer up to 1 week’s outstanding leave (pro rata for part time employees) from one holiday year to the next. 

If your adoption leave extends into the next holiday year, refer to Carrying over annual leave to make sure that your unused and accrued annual leave is carried over for when you return to work. Read our Holiday Policy on the annual leave allowance page for more details.

Access to IT    

You may keep your IT equipment while on adoption leave to stay in touch and carry out work or go to online meetings during keeping in touch (KIT) days.  
 
Turn on your out of office reply and include an alternative account on your email account before your leave starts. Save any work files and folders to your team’s shared drive. 
 
To keep your IT account active during your maternity leave, raise an Extended Leave Notification request on the Assyst portal by selecting 'IT services', 'people services' and then 'log an extended leave notification'.

Log in to your laptop every couple of months to avoid being locked out. If you get locked out of your laptop, you will need to return to IT and request a new laptop.  

Benefits and loans  

Bicycle loan or public transport season ticket loan

You can choose to vary or suspend the repayments that are taken directly from your adoption pay.

You'll need to make alternative arrangements to pay back the amount you owe by the agreed repayment deadline.

To make changes to your loan repayments, contact People Support using the Assyst portal. 

Lease car

You can keep your lease car during your leave as long as you continue to make the lease car payments. These payments will be deducted from any pay you receive during your maternity leave.

The Car Provision Scheme (CPS) administration team will contact you once your paid leave ends and provide invoices for you to pay them directly.

To avoid falling into arrears with your payments, it's advisable to contact the CPS team before starting leave to make arrangements.