TAKE LEAVE. PARENT.
SIMPLE, RIGHT?
Let’s make it simple to say yes to Shared Parental Leave
Shared parental leave is available for many. Here’s some benefits
Let’s break the pay gap cycle
Increasing Shared Parental Leave is one of three key actions identified to help reduce the pay gap. The median pay gap for all employees in the UK was 17.3% in 2019 - meaning if we ordered all women by pay and then compared the middle woman, she’s paid 82.7p for every £1 that the man in the middle is paid when we do the same exercise for men. Those numbers do not include anyone who is not in the workforce - for example, in a childcare role at home.
Quality time for you
Sharing your time off can mean you and your partner can each benefit from time with, and time apart from, your baby - using that time to bond as well as spend time together and support each other in this exciting chapter as well as supporting each other with your careers too.
Quality time for your little one
Your new baby gets to be nurtured by both parents, and gets to bond with both of you right from this young age - setting a strong foundation for the years to come
Practical tips
Check you’re eligible
Shared Parental Leave has a few criteria - including being employed by your employer for a number of weeks before the baby is due. Check what leave you’re entitled to here with the calculator at gov.uk
Make sure you get the dates right
On the admin front, it’s worth being on top of things if you’re applying for Shared Parental Leave and Shared Parental Pay as some of the paperwork must be in by specific dates (it’s 8 weeks notice for booking leave).
Forms at the ready
ACAS have all the forms you need. To take SPL, the mother must first curtail her “maternity leave” and then that leaves the remaining balance of weeks of both leave and statutory pay to be shared as Shared Parental Leave and Shared Parental Pay. Then, parents can book leave. ACAS have done the hard work on forms, so even if your employer doesn’t have their own forms or process, both you and your HR representative should get what you need via the two standard forms here (with variants).
Choose your leave pattern for you
There’s a few different ways you can take leave: overlap and take the leave all in one go, together; a chunk of continuous leave each (with or without parents overlapping); and flip flopping leave and work in up to three discrete blocks for each parent. Case studies can be a good place to go to see what worked for other parents.
Working Families has some helpful case study videos that bring different ways of taking Shared Parental Leave to life.
“Shared parental leave made us both feel like capable caregivers for our little girl and we have both been able to not only experience her first moments, but continue to grow in our careers.”