Shared parental leave: what employers need to know
Shared Parental Leave is a new right that will enable eligible mothers, fathers, partners and adopters to choose how to share time off work after their child is born or placed. This could mean that the mother or adopter shares some of the leave with her partner, perhaps returning to work for part of the time and then resuming leave at a later date.
The regulations are due to come into force on 1 December 2014, and the options to use the new Shared Parental Leave rights will apply for parents who meet the eligibility criteria, where a baby is due to be born on or after 5 April 2015, or for children who are placed for adoption on or after that date.
As an employer you could start to receive notice of eligibility and the intention to take Shared Parental Leave from qualifying employees from January 2015.
ACAS has produced a useful set of guidance about the new arrangements, and is also running training events for employers to help you get to grips with the changes.
The training covers:
- Who qualifies for shared parental leave and pay?
- Notifying the employer and booking shared parental leave and pay
- When and how shared parental leave and pay can be taken
- How to discuss plans and agree patterns of leave with qualifying employees
- How to respond to requests for shared parental leave and pay
- How to deal with requests to change patterns of leave
- Developing a policy and rules to manage the process
To find out about course dates, locations and availability, click here.
Other useful resources
My Family Care SPL Resource Pack
BIS employers’ technical guide to SPL and pay
FI research summary on paternity leave
Tags: For employers
