The Maternity and Parental Leave Regulations 1999 came in to force on 15 December 1999 and deal with the right to parental leave, to take time off work to look after a child or to make arrangements for a child’s welfare. Parents, of both sexes, who satisfy the qualifying conditions are entitled to take up to 13 weeks’ unpaid leave for a child following a birth or adoption, or 18 weeks for a disabled child. Employers should take advice regarding the terms under which leave can be taken. Currently leave can only be in chunks of at least one week at a time, with a maximum of 4 weeks in any year. Employers can refuse leave at a particular time if it would have a detrimental effect on the business but it is recommended to seek advice before doing so. The purpose of parental leave is to care for a child. This is defined as ‘looking after the welfare of the child and can include making arrangements for the good of the child’. It does not mean being with the child for 24 hours a day; it might be taken simply to enable the parents to spend more time with young children. To qualify, the parent should have some ongoing responsibility for the care of the child. ADTI booklets set out examples of the way parental leave might be used.