Shared parental leave (SPL) is a type of parental leave that allows birth parents and adoptive parents to share up to 50 weeks leave and 37 weeks pay between them. SPL may be taken in one go or in blocks separated by work. It may be taken consecutively by both partners or may be taken at the same time so both partners are off work together. Shared parental leave can be shared with only one person and must be taken in the first year after a child is born or placed with a family.
To be eligible, both partners must fulfil certain criteria relating to employment status, length of employment and amount of pay.
The crucial thing to note about SPL is that it requires the mother (or adopter) to end, or give notice to end, their maternity (or adoption) leave, in order for SPL to start.
The rules are complicated, but don’t worry: we have produced a fact sheet.
Published in… Updates: For employers: Family rights and flexible working | For employees: Family rights and flexible working |
Other employment law terms
- ACAS Early Conciliation
- Adoption appointments
- Adoption leave
- Alternative dispute resolution
- Ante-natal care
- Apprenticeship
- Basic award
- Calderbank offer
- Collective consultation
- Compensatory award
- Compromise agreement
- Constructive dismissal
- Contract of employment
- Disciplinary hearing
- Discrimination
- Employee shareholder
- Employment tribunal
- ETO reason
- Flexible working requests
- Grievance
- Gross misconduct
- Harassment
- Industrial action
- Injury to feelings
- Maternity and parental rights
- Maternity leave
- Maternity pay
- Mediation
- Parental leave
- Paternity leave and pay
- Polkey deduction
- Pre-termination negotiations
- Protected characteristics
- Redundancy
- Restrictive covenants
- Settlement agreement
- Staff handbook
- Statutory annual leave
- Strikes
- Study and training rights
- Summary dismissal
- Sunday working
- Trade union
- TUPE
- Unfair dismissal
- Unlawful deductions
- Victimisation
- Whistle-blowing
- Without prejudice
- Working Time Regulations
- Written particulars
- Wrongful dismissal
- Zero hours contracts