Shared parental leave
Shared parental leave
Notification of entitlement to Shared Parental Leave (ShPL) and notice of leave
Parents can choose to opt into ShPL at any time before the 51st week after the child is born, as long as there is some untaken Maternity or Adoption Leave to share.
Leave and pay entitlements
To be able to take Shared Parental Leave and receive Shared Parental Pay you will need to meet the relevant qualifying criteria. You can check your eligibility and if you meet the qualification criteria by referring to the shared parental leave scheme section in the 'Family support leave policy'.
| Leave | Occupational pay | Statutory pay | Unpaid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 50 weeks ((the birth parent / designated primary adopter or parental order parent must take compulsory maternity / adoption leave at least two weeks immediately following the birth / placement of the child)) |
Up to the first *26 weeks of the commencement of your partner's or your maternity or adoption leave period. | ||
| Up to *39 weeks Statutory Maternity Adoption Pay (SMP / SAP) or 90% pay (whichever is less) or Maternity Allowance (MA) or equivalent | |||
| 13 weeks unpaid | |||
*less any weeks of Maternity / Adoption / Shared Parental leave taken by the employee or their partner.
It is required by law that the birth parent / designated primary adopter or parental order parent take at least 2 weeks of compulsory maternity / adoption leave immediately following the birth of the child. This is the reason that the Shared Parental Leave entitlement is 50 weeks rather than 52 weeks.