Section 17 — Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act 1987: Entitlement of employee to partner's/paternity leave

17 Entitlement of employee to partner's/paternity leave Except as otherwise provided in this Act, every employee— (a) Who is the spouse or partner of a pregnant woman; and (b) Who assumes or intends to assume the care of the child of the pregnancy; and (c) who, at the expected date of delivery for that child, will have been in the employment of the same employer for at least an average of 10 hours a week over— (i) the immediately preceding 12 months; or (ii) the immediately preceding 6 months,— shall be entitled to partner's/paternity leave in accordance with this Act. The heading to section 17 was amended, as from 1 July 2002, by section 21 Parental Leave And Employment Protection (Paid Parental Leave) Amendment Act 2002 (2002 No 7) by omitting the word “ male ” , and by substituting the words “ partner's/paternity leave ” for the words “ paternity leave ” . Section 17 was amended, as from 1 July 2002, by section 21 Parental Leave And Employment Protection (Paid Parental Leave) Amendment Act 2002 (2002 No 7) by substituting the words “ partner's/paternity leave ” for the words “ paternity leave ” . Section 17 was amended, as from 1 July 2002, by section 21 Parental Leave And Employment Protection (Paid Parental Leave) Amendment Act 2002 (2002 No 7), by omitting the word “ male ” . Paragraph (a) was amended, as from 26 April 2005, by section 8 Parental Leave and Employment Protection Amendment Act 2005 (2005 No 18) by inserting the words “ or partner ” after the word “ spouse ” . Paragraph (c) was amended, as from 1 July 2002, by section 11 Parental Leave And Employment Protection (Paid Parental Leave) Amendment Act 2002 (2002 No 7) by substituting the words “ for at least an average of 10 hours a week during that period ” for the words “ for at least 10 hours in each week ” . Paragraph (c) was substituted, as from 1 December 2004, by section 12 Parental Leave and Employment Protection Amendment Act 2004 (2004 No 89). See section 4 of that Act for the application of this amendment. See section 23 of that Act for the transitional provision relating to the giving of notice.