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 |
Tagged with: Maternity leave | Parental rights |

Share this definition on…

Other employment law terms

  1. ACAS Early Conciliation
  2. Adoption appointments
  3. Adoption leave
  4. Alternative dispute resolution
  5. Ante-natal care
  6. Apprenticeship
  7. Basic award
  8. Collective consultation
  9. Compensatory award
  10. Compromise agreement
  11. Constructive dismissal
  12. Contract of employment
  13. Disciplinary hearing
  14. Discrimination
  15. Employee shareholder
  16. Employment tribunal
  17. ETO reason
  18. Flexible working requests
  19. Grievance
  20. Gross misconduct
  21. Harassment
  22. Industrial action
  23. Injury to feelings
  24. Maternity and parental rights
  25. Maternity leave
  26. Maternity pay
  27. Mediation
  28. Parental leave
  29. Paternity leave and pay
  30. Polkey deduction
  31. Pre-termination negotiations
  32. Protected characteristics
  33. Redundancy
  34. Restrictive covenants
  35. Settlement agreement
  36. Staff handbook
  37. Statutory annual leave
  38. Strikes
  39. Study and training rights
  40. Summary dismissal
  41. Sunday working
  42. Trade union
  43. TUPE
  44. Unfair dismissal
  45. Unlawful deductions
  46. Victimisation
  47. Whistle-blowing
  48. Without prejudice
  49. Working Time Regulations
  50. Written particulars
  51. Wrongful dismissal
  52. Zero hours contracts