The Maternity and Parental Leave etc. Regulations 1999

Postponement of leave

6.  An employer may postpone a period of parental leave where—

(a) neither paragraph 4 nor paragraph 5 applies, and the employee has accordingly given the employer notice in accordance with paragraph 3;

(b) the employer considers that the operation of his business would be unduly disrupted if the employee took leave during the period identified in his notice;

(c) the employer agrees to permit the employee to take a period of leave—

(i) of the same duration as the period identified in the employee’s notice, and

(ii) beginning on a date determined by the employer after consulting the employee, which is no later than six months after the commencement of that period;

(d) the employer gives the employee notice in writing of the postponement which—

(i) states the reason for it, and

(ii) specifies the dates on which the period of leave the employer agrees to permit the employee to take will begin and end,

and

(e) that notice is given to the employee not more than seven days after the employee’s notice was given to the employer.