Section 26 — Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act 1987: Duration of extended leave

26 Duration of extended leave (1) Subject to subsections (2) and (4) of this section and to sections 27 to 30 of this Act, extended leave may be taken by the employee and the employee's spouse or partner in no more than one continuous period each, the combined total of which does not exceed 52 weeks. (2) Where, on any occasion, a female employee takes maternity leave, the period of extended leave to which she or her spouse or partner is entitled in respect of the child shall be the period specified in subsection (1) of this section reduced by the total period of the maternity leave taken excluding any period of maternity leave in excess of 14 weeks taken pursuant to section 9(2) of this Act. (3) The taking by a female employee of any special leave pursuant to section 15 of this Act shall not reduce the period of extended leave to which that female employee or her spouse or partner is entitled in accordance with this Act. (4) The taking by an employee of a period of partner's/paternity leave affects the period of extended leave to which the employee and his or her spouse or partner are entitled in accordance with this Act as follows: (a) the period is not reduced by the taking of partner's/paternity leave referred to in section 19 : (b) the period is reduced by the period of extended partner's/paternity leave taken under section 19A or section 19B . Section 26 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 ” wherever it appears. Subsection (1) was amended, as from 1 December 2004, by section 15(1) Parental Leave and Employment Protection Amendment Act 2004 (2004 No 89) by substituting the words “ subsections (2) and (4) ” for the expression “ subsection (2) ” . 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. Subsection (2) was amended, as from 1 July 2006, by section 15 Parental Leave and Employment Protection (Paid Parental Leave for Self-Employed Persons) Amendment Act 2006 (2006 No 20) by omitting the words “ who is entitled to both maternity leave and extended leave in accordance with this Act, ” . See section 5 of that Act for the application of this amendment. Subsection (4) was substituted, as from 1 July 2002, by section 21 Parental Leave And Employment Protection (Paid Parental Leave) Amendment Act 2002 (2002 No 7). Subsection (4) was substituted, as from 1 December 2004, by section 15(2) 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.