Adoption and surrogacy toolkit
- Step-by-step guidance to deal with adoption and surrogacy
- Comply with the law
- Includes all the relevant documents you need
This adoption and surrogacy toolkit guides you through the steps you need to take, from when a staff member announces that they are adopting or having a child via surrogacy, to when they return to work after adoption leave.
It includes a how-to guide as well as a pack of 14 relevant documents, including template letters and notices to arrange your staff member's adoption leave, time off for appointments, Keeping in Touch days, and return to work.
By using this toolkit you will protect your staff member's health and safety, maintain good workplace relations and reduce the risk of any legal action being taken against you.
Q&A
When should I use this toolkit?
This adoption and surrogacy toolkit is always useful to have as part of your HR documentation.
Your staff member/s can use the forms provided to notify you of their upcoming adoption or if they are having a child via surrogate, and their intention to take adoption leave. You and your staff member/s can use the how-to guide along with the rest of the documents to ensure you both take the correct steps during an adoption and/or surrogacy.
What does this toolkit cover?
This adoption and surrogacy toolkit includes a how-to guide, which takes you through the steps you and your staff member need to take from when your staff member notifies you that they are adopting or having a child via surrogate, until they return to work. The how-to guide sets out who is responsible for which step, the time frames that need to be met, and which documents are needed to complete each task.
Also included in this toolkit is:
- documentation for a staff member to notify you of time off needed for appointments;
- letters to arrange adoption leave and Keeping in Touch days; and
- documentation to confirm your staff member's return to work.
Why do I need this toolkit?
This adoption and surrogacy toolkit helps you to take all the right steps when a staff member is adopting or having a child via surrogacy.
By using this toolkit, you'll ensure that you and your staff member comply with the law and take necessary steps within the right time frames. This protects your staff member's health and safety, reduces the risk of disputes and helps you to maintain good workplace relations.
Where can I find out more?
For full guidance, see Pregnancy, maternity and adoption.
Documents in Toolkit
Adoption - Amended return date letter- Adoption - Employee notice of date of arrival
- Adoption - Employee notice of intention to take adoption leave for overseas adoption
- Adoption - Employee notice of overseas adoption approval
- Adoption - Employee notice of UK adoption placement and intention to take adoption leave
- Adoption - KIT day letter
- Adoption arrangements letter
- Employee declaration of eligibility for time off to attend antenatal appointments with surrogate
- Employee declaration of eligibility for time off to attend pre-adoption appointments
- Employee notice of date of childbirth
- Employee notice of return from adoption leave
- How-to guide: Adoption and surrogacy toolkit
- Letter to employee confirming dates of return from adoption leave
- Notice of updated return date from adoption leave
- Surrogacy - Employee notice of intention to take adoption leave
Related Toolkits
Redundancy toolkit
This redundancy toolkit guides you through the key steps you need to take to make an employee redundant, and provides a pack of the relevant template documents you are likely to need. You will find guidance and a pack of 9 supporting documents, including letters, notices and agendas, for each step of the redundancy process: Initial steps (considering alternatives and reasons for redundancies); Creating a redundancy pool, applying selection criteria and notifying employees; Carrying out a consultation process; and Making a final decision, calculating payments and terminating employment. It also includes a template letter to offer alternative employment to employees who are at risk of being made redundant. By using this redundancy toolkit, you will ensure that your redundancy process is fair and legally compliant, which reduces the chance of any employees suing you. The guidance in this redundancy toolkit also helps you to ensure you do not make redundancies in a discriminatory way. Use this redundancy toolkit to ensure you are legally compliant without the need for a lawyer.
This redundancy toolkit guides you through the key steps you need to take to make an employee redundant, and provides a pack of the relevant template documents you are likely to need. You will find guidance and a pack of 9 supporting documents, including letters, notices and agendas, for each step of the redundancy process: Initial steps (considering alternatives and reasons for redundancies); Creating a redundancy pool, applying selection criteria and notifying employees; Carrying out a consultation process; and Making a final decision, calculating payments and terminating employment. It also includes a template letter to offer alternative employment to employees who are at risk of being made redundant. By using this redundancy toolkit, you will ensure that your redundancy process is fair and legally compliant, which reduces the chance of any employees suing you. The guidance in this redundancy toolkit also helps you to ensure you do not make redundancies in a discriminatory way. Use this redundancy toolkit to ensure you are legally compliant without the need for a lawyer.
- How-to guide: Redundancy toolkit
- Redundancy - Letter warning of proposed redundancies
- Redundancy - Selection criteria form
- Redundancy - Provisional selection for redundancy letter
- Redundancy - First individual consultation meeting agenda
- Redundancy - Outcome of individual consultation meeting
- Redundancy - Invitation to final individual consultation meeting
- Redundancy - Final individual consultation meeting agenda
- Redundancy - Notice of termination of employment
- Redundancy - Offer of alternative employment
Disciplinary toolkit
This disciplinary toolkit will guide you through the process of handling a disciplinary matter. It includes a how-to guide and a pack of 16 relevant documents you are likely to need. You will find template letters, agendas and other documents which can be used at each key step of the disciplinary process: Investigating the disciplinary matter (including suspension of your staff member if necessary and appropriate); Attending a disciplinary meeting with your staff member; Taking disciplinary action eg written warnings or dismissal; and Providing an opportunity for your staff member to appeal your decision. The toolkit also includes a list of common disabilities, so that you can check whether you need to make any reasonable adjustments at disciplinary meetings. This toolkit will help you to follow a fair and proper disciplinary process, which reduces the risk of your staff member taking legal action against you in future.
This disciplinary toolkit will guide you through the process of handling a disciplinary matter. It includes a how-to guide and a pack of 16 relevant documents you are likely to need. You will find template letters, agendas and other documents which can be used at each key step of the disciplinary process: Investigating the disciplinary matter (including suspension of your staff member if necessary and appropriate); Attending a disciplinary meeting with your staff member; Taking disciplinary action eg written warnings or dismissal; and Providing an opportunity for your staff member to appeal your decision. The toolkit also includes a list of common disabilities, so that you can check whether you need to make any reasonable adjustments at disciplinary meetings. This toolkit will help you to follow a fair and proper disciplinary process, which reduces the risk of your staff member taking legal action against you in future.
- How-to guide: Disciplinary toolkit
- Suspension letter pending investigation
- Disciplinary investigation template
- Invitation to attend a disciplinary hearing
- Invitation to attend meeting to discuss sickness absence
- List of common disabilities
- Note taking template for disciplinary proceedings
- Basic script for conducting a disciplinary hearing
- First written warning for capability
- First written warning for misconduct
- Final written warning for capability
- Final written warning for misconduct
- Sickness absence meeting - outcome letter
- Dismissal letter
- Invitation to attend a disciplinary appeal hearing
- Basic script for conducting a disciplinary appeal hearing
- Letter to confirm outcome of a disciplinary appeal
Pregnancy and maternity toolkit
This pregnancy and maternity toolkit guides you through the steps you need to take when a staff member notifies you that she is pregnant, throughout her maternity leave, and when she returns to work. It includes a how-to guide as well as a pack of 10 relevant documents you are likely to need, including: template letters and notices to arrange the beginning of your staff member's maternity leave and return to work; template letters to arrange Keeping in Touch days; and a pregnancy and maternity risk assessment template. By using this toolkit you will protect your staff member's health and safety, maintain good workplace relations and reduce the risk of any legal action being taken against you.
This pregnancy and maternity toolkit guides you through the steps you need to take when a staff member notifies you that she is pregnant, throughout her maternity leave, and when she returns to work. It includes a how-to guide as well as a pack of 10 relevant documents you are likely to need, including: template letters and notices to arrange the beginning of your staff member's maternity leave and return to work; template letters to arrange Keeping in Touch days; and a pregnancy and maternity risk assessment template. By using this toolkit you will protect your staff member's health and safety, maintain good workplace relations and reduce the risk of any legal action being taken against you.
- Maternity arrangements letter
- Maternity - Amended return date letter
- Maternity - Letter confirming sickness absence during last four weeks before childbirth
- Maternity - KIT Day Letter
- Employee notice of return from maternity leave
- Letter to employee confirming dates of return from maternity leave
- Pregnancy - health and safety letter
- How-to guide: Pregnancy and maternity toolkit
- Pregnancy and maternity risk assessment
- Maternity - Employee notice of pregnancy and intention to take maternity leave
- Pregnancy - suspension on health and safety grounds letter
Paternity toolkit
Please note that this toolkit has recently been updated. It can be used for employees whose child is due after 6 April 2024, or whose expected date of adoption placement is on or after 6 April 2024. If your employee's child is due to be born or placed with them before this date, this toolkit will not apply. This paternity toolkit will take you through the key steps to take when a staff member wishes to take paternity leave. It contains a how-to guide along with a pack of all the relevant template documents you are likely to need. This paternity toolkit can be used in a wide variety of situations, whether a staff member's partner is having a baby, they are adopting or they are having a baby via surrogacy. By using this toolkit, you ensure that you comply with your legal obligations, which reduces the risk of your staff member taking legal action against you and helps to maintain good workplace relations.
Please note that this toolkit has recently been updated. It can be used for employees whose child is due after 6 April 2024, or whose expected date of adoption placement is on or after 6 April 2024. If your employee's child is due to be born or placed with them before this date, this toolkit will not apply. This paternity toolkit will take you through the key steps to take when a staff member wishes to take paternity leave. It contains a how-to guide along with a pack of all the relevant template documents you are likely to need. This paternity toolkit can be used in a wide variety of situations, whether a staff member's partner is having a baby, they are adopting or they are having a baby via surrogacy. By using this toolkit, you ensure that you comply with your legal obligations, which reduces the risk of your staff member taking legal action against you and helps to maintain good workplace relations.
- How-to guide: Paternity toolkit
- Declaration of eligibility for time off to attend antenatal appointments
- Employee declaration of eligibility for time off to attend pre-adoption appointments
- Employee declaration of eligibility for time off to attend antenatal appointments with surrogate
- Paternity arrangements letter
- Employee notice of date of childbirth
- Notice of updated return date from paternity leave
- Adoption - Employee notice of date of arrival