Pregnancy, Family Leave and Working Parents

Shared Parental Leave

You and your partner may be able to get SPL and Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) if you’re having a baby or adopting a child. It is possible to share up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay between you.

Shared Parental Leave (SPL) came into effect in April 2015 and provided families more flexibility than ever before.
You and your partner may be able to get SPL and Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) if you’re having a baby or adopting a child.

It is possible to share up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay between you. You need to share the pay and leave in the first year after your child is born or placed with your family. In order to use SPL and receive ShPP you must meet the eligibility criteria and give the required notice to your employer.

It is a personal decision for an employee as to whether they apply for Shared Parental Leave and it is usually up to employees to calculate their own eligibility. If you would like to find out more about the complex rules around Shared Parental Leave and eligibility, our Employment Team can advise you of your legal rights and provide practical advice on a case-by-case basis.

Parental Leave

If you are a working parent then you may qualify for Parental Leave.

• Parental Leave is available to parents of all children up to 18 years old to look after their child.
• If you qualify each parent can take up to 18 weeks Parental Leave in total for each eligible child.
• Leave is unpaid.

If you would like to find out more about your rights as a working parent and eligibility, our Employment Team can provide practical advice on a case-by-case basis.

Time off for Dependants

All employees have the right to time off for a dependant for example if child care arrangements break down or a dependant is injured or ill.

• You can only take reasonable time to deal with the situation.
• A “Dependant” could be your husband, wife or partner, child or parent, or someone living with you as part of your family.
• There is no right to be paid for taking time off for dependants but always check with your employer as to what your workplace policy is.

If you would like to find out more about your rights and eligibility, our Employment Team can provide practical advice on a case-by-case basis.