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In Jamaica, adoption leave is a paid leave of absence that employees can take after they have adopted a child.
Adoption leave is beneficial in the following ways:
- It gives adoptive parents time to bond with their new child and adjust to their new family life.
- It can help to reduce stress and anxiety during a time that can be very overwhelming.
- It can give adoptive parents time to make arrangements for childcare.
- It can help to protect adoptive parents’ jobs.
Adoption Leave Entitlement
As a Public Sector employee, you are entitled to twenty (20) working days with pay. Also, you are only entitled to three (3) occasions of adoption leave.
Adoption leave is granted after the placement of the child/children in your home.
You may take your allotted days on one occasion, i.e., you take all 20 days one time, OR you take your allotted days on two separate occasions. The minimum number of days that you can take on one occasion is 5 working days. So, you can decide to take 15 days immediately after the child/children has/have been placed in your home and then take the remaining 5 days within the remaining months.
You can access adoption leave only once for the year.
Adoption leave is not granted per child. Therefore, if you adopt siblings, this will not increase the number of days allotted to you.
Please note that you must wait a minimum of 6 months after taking maternity/paternity leave before you can take adoption leave.
Adoption Leave Pay
You are entitled to your basic salary for the period for which you will be on adoption leave.
Adoption Leave Eligibility
Employees are eligible for adoption leave once the following criteria is met:
- at least 18 years old,
- full time employees should be working for at least 12 months straight (continuous service),
- part time employees should be working for at least 12 months straight, working at least 18 hours per week,
- the name of the employee seeking adoption leave is on the adoption application documents.
Adoption Leave In Jamaica
Please note that applications for adoption leave should be supported by documentation from the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) or the Courts.
Contact your HR department to learn more about the adoption leave policy within your company. Also, you can learn more about adoption leave in Jamaica here.
Private sector companies are encouraged to follow suit and implement this leave as a part of their employee benefit package, but there is currently no law in place to compel them to do so.
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