Shared Parental Leave

Advice and Assistance on Parental Leave

Process

  • Member of staff provides written notification (email/letter) to their Head of Department and HR of their intention to take Parental leave, providing a minimum of 21 days notice.
  • The notification will include the dates that the parental leave will start and finish. 
  • You may prefer to discuss this with your line manager and/or HR Business Partner verbally before submitting your notification.
  • If you require the leave for an emergency situation it may be more appropriate for you to use the Compassionate Leave/Emergency Care of Dependants Leave Agreement. Advice regarding this may be obtained from Human Resources
  • Your Head of department will confirm the dates and notify payroll that these dates are unpaid.
  • In exceptional circumstances where the leave would be “unduly disruptive to the department” the head of department may need to postpone your period of leave for up to 6 months.
  • In such circumstances the Head of department would discuss this with HR. 
  • The head of department would then write out to the member of staff to confirm the reason for the postponement, and the new dates of parental leave. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Am I entitled to shared paternity leave?
  • Shared parental leave can be used by two people who share parental responsibility for the same child or children.
  • One parent must be entitled to statutory maternity/adoption leave or statutory maternity/adoption pay or maternity allowance and must have ended or given notice to reduce any maternity/adoption entitlements
  • You must still be working for the University at the start of each period of shared parental leave
  • You must pass the ‘continuity test’ (i.e. you must have a minimum of 26 weeks' service at the end of the 15th week before the child’s expected due date/matching date)
  • Your partner must meet the ‘employment and earnings test’ requiring them to have worked for at least 26 weeks and earned an average of at least £30 (this is correct as of 2015 but may change annually) per week in any 13 of those weeks, in the 66 weeks leading up to the child’s expected due date/matching date
  • You must correctly notify the University of your entitlement and provide evidence as required. 
How much shared parental leave can I take?
  • Shared parental leave can be used by two people who share parental responsibility for the same child or children.
  • One parent must be entitled to statutory maternity/adoption leave or statutory maternity/adoption pay or maternity allowance and must have ended or given notice to reduce any maternity/adoption entitlements
  • you must still be working for the University at the start of each period of shared parental leave
  • you must pass the ‘continuity test’ (i.e. you must have a minimum of 26 weeks' service at the end of the 15th week before the child’s expected due date/matching date)
  • your partner must meet the ‘employment and earnings test’ requiring them to have worked for at least 26 weeks and earned an average of at least £30 (this is correct as of 2015 but may change annually) per week in any 13 of those weeks, in the 66 weeks leading up to the child’s expected due date/matching date
  • you must correctly notify the University of your entitlement and provide evidence as required. 
How much shared parental leave can I take?

You are entitled to take up to 50 weeks of shared parental leave during your child’s first year in your family

How can shared parental leave be taken?
  • If one parent is entitled to maternity leave, then the other parent can take shared parental leave after they have taken the legally required two weeks of maternity leave following the birth of the child
  • Adoptive parents can take shared parental leave after two weeks of adoption leave has been taken
  • It is suggested to use any paternity leave allowance before commencing shared parental leave
  • If your line manager agrees, you can take shared parental leave in up to three blocks, at the same or at different times to your partner. You will need to give at least eight weeks’ notice before taking each block of leave.
Will my shared parental leave be paid?
  • If you have been continuously employed by the University for the 12 months leading up to the due date, or placement date, then you are eligible for the Occupational Shared Parental Pay scheme, and will be paid for any leave you take at the following rates:
  • 12 weeks’ leave on full pay (against which ShPP Payments are offset)
  • 14 weeks’ leave on half-pay (plus ShPP at the appropriate rate, except to the extent that the combined amounts exceed full pay)
  • 13 weeks’ ShPP at the appropriate rate
  • up to 11 weeks’ unpaid leave
  • Note that it is a condition of the Occupation Shared Parental Pay scheme that you return to work for a period of no less than six months on the same basis as you were employed prior to taking shared parental leave 
What should I do first?

What should I do first? 

  1. You should contact your HR Business Partner about the process. You will need to provide your HR Business Partner with:
    • your name
    • the name of the other parent 
    • the start and end dates of any maternity/adoption leave or pay, or maternity allowance, taken in respect of the child and the total amount of SPL available.
    • the date on which the child is expected to be born and the actual date of birth or, in the case of an adopted child, the date on which you were notified of having been matched with the child and the date of placement for adoption
    • the amount of SPL you and your partner each intend to take
    • a non-binding indication of when you expect to take the leave. 
  2. You must provide the University with a signed declaration stating:
    • you meet, or will meet, the eligibility conditions and are entitled to take SPL
    • that the information you have given is accurate
    • if you are not the mother/adopter, you must confirm that you are either the father of the child, or the spouse, civil partner or partner of the mother/adopter;
    • that, should you cease to be eligible, you will immediately inform the organisation.
  3. You must also provide the University with a signed declaration from your partner confirming:
    • their name, address and national insurance number (or a declaration that they do not have a national insurance number)
    • that they are the mother/adopter of the child or they are the father of the child, or are your spouse, civil partner or partner
    • that they satisfy the ‘employment and earnings test’
    • that, with you, they had the main responsibility for the child at the date of the child’s birth or placement for adoption
    • that they consent to the amount of SPL that you intend to take
    • that they consent to the University processing the information contained in the declaration form;
    • where your partner is the mother/adopter, that they will immediately inform you should they cease to satisfy the eligibility conditions
Support with parenting leave

We recommend that expectant parents meet with their HR Business Partner to discuss plans for and during their leave. 

What happens with my annual leave entitlement?
  • While on shared parental leave, you continue to accrue your annual leave entitlement.
  • You can add holiday to the beginning or end of your shared parental leave.  We encourage staff to take their annual leave in the correct leave year.
  • You will be able to discuss the best options regarding how to incorporate annual leave with your HR Business Partner

Queries about shared parental leave? 

Contact your HR Business Partner.