Shared Parental Leave
Shared Parental Leave (SPL) provides eligible parents with the opportunity to choose to share between them the care of their child during the first year following the child’s birth or adoption. Its purpose is to give parents greater flexibility in considering how to best care for and bond, with their child. Shared Parental Leave is a deliberate choice that is made by the parents or adopters with an agreement and notification to employers. The couples have the right to change their minds about sharing.
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KEY INFORMATION
An employee is eligible if they are:
- The mother/primary adopter; or
- The father of the child; or
- The spouse, civil partner or partner of the child’s mother/primary adopter.
A member of staff is entitled to parental leave if he/she has a child who is under 18 and is:
- Is the parent (named on the birth or adoption certificate) of the child; or
- Has adopted a child who is under 18 years of age; or
- Has acquired legal responsibility for the child.
- They share the main responsibility for the care of their child with their partner;
- Have completed 26 weeks continuous service by the end of the 15th week before childbirth or end of week they were notified of match with a child;
- They will still be employed the week before leave is taken;
- They or their partner is entitled to Statutory Maternity Leave/Statutory Maternity Pay or Maternity Allowance or to Statutory Adoption Leave/Statutory Adoption Pay and have curtailed this entitlement.
- Employees partner must also satisfy the work and earnings requirement – see policy for details
Shared Parental Leave can begin once the employee, or their partner has taken compulsory maternity/adoptive leave (at least 2 weeks) and they have curtailed their entitlement to Maternity or Adoption Leave by providing at least 8 weeks notice to their employer.
- HOW MUCH SHARED PARENTAL LEAVE CAN YOU TAKE?
- Minimum amount is one week, maximum is 50 weeks. First 2 weeks can’t be shared
- SPL must be taken in multiples of complete weeks.
- There can be a maximum of 3 occasions
- Partners can take it at same time
- Amount of SPL that can be taken depends on amount of SML/SAL already taken.
Up to 37 weeks Statutory Shared Parental Pay is potentially available for parents to share between them. (39 minus compulsory 2 weeks maternity/adoptive leave).
To apply, employees must inform the university at least 8 weeks before the start date. The Child’s mother must fill in a curtailment notice and the Employee must provide a copy of the birth certificate.
Various Application forms SPL1,2,3 and 4 can be obtained from the Worklife Balance Policies Webpage.