Section 10 of the Principal Act is amended -

(a) by substituting the following for subsection (2):

"(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), if, after the date of a confirmation document (whether or not the period of parental leave to which it relates has commenced) -

(a) the employer concerned or his or her successor and the employee concerned so agree, the leave or part of it may be postponed to such time as may be so agreed upon, the period of such leave may be curtailed in such manner and to such extent as may be so agreed upon or the form of the leave may be varied in such manner as may be so agreed upon, and in such a case the confirmation document shall be amended accordingly, or

(b) the employee concerned becomes sick such that the employee is unable to care for the child the subject of the parental leave to which the confirmation document relates, then the employee may, by notice in writing given to the employer concerned or his or her successor, as soon as is reasonably practicable after becoming sick, and accompanied by the relevant evidence in respect of the sickness -

(i) if the period of parental leave has not commenced, postpone the taking of the leave to such time as the employee is no longer sick, or

(ii) if the period of parental leave has commenced, suspend the taking of the balance of the leave to such time as the employee is no longer sick,