New shared parental leave rules in UK

Parents have gained greater flexibility in how they share the care of their child in the first year after birth as new regulations regarding Shared Parental Leave (SPL) came into force on 1 December 2014.

The UK government released in a press statement that the new rules, which apply to couples with babies due or children matched or placed for adoption on or after 5 April 2015, allows parents to choose whether they want to share the mother’s maternity leave.

As many as 285,000 working couples are expected to be eligible to share leave from April 2015. The changes in how maternity leave can be used will kick start a culture change in workplaces where fathers feel more confident in taking time off for childcare.

Minister for Employment Relations, Jo Swinson, said: “The new Shared Parental Leave rules will give real choice to parents. We all know that every family has its own unique set of circumstances, and SPL reflects that reality.”

“Up until now, families have had very limited options when it comes to juggling the demands of work with the arrival of a new baby. The old maternity leave system reinforced the archaic assumptions that the bulk of childcare responsibilities should be done by mums, and failed to recognise the vitally important role that dads and partners have to play.”

Under the new rules, mothers can still take at least two weeks of maternity leave immediately after birth, but after that working couples have the opportunity to share up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay.

The increased flexibility that SPL will create will be good for families, good for business and good for the economy, said the government in its press statement.

The SPL is just one strand of a wider programme of measures that the government has introduced to create a modern work environment and provide greater opportunities for parents and families - including the right to request flexible working and increased access to childcare and school meals.

Acas Chair, Sir Brendan Barber, said: “Many employers recognise that they can retain talented staff by offering a flexible approach to work and a healthy work life balance can help business success and growth.”