Workplace experts Acas has urged employers to get to grips with new shared parental leave rights that came into force on 1 December.
Shared parental leave (SPL) is a legal right that allows couples to share maternity or adoption leave and pay from 5 April 2015. Couples finding out now that they are expecting a child will be among the first parents eligible to take advantage of these new rights.
Acas head of guidance Stewart Gee, said: “We advise employers and employees to start having early discussions to ensure that they can agree the sort of arrangements which work best for business and working families.”
Under the new system, a pregnant woman will continue to have access to 52 weeks of maternity leave and 39 weeks of pay as she does currently but from 5 April, working families will have the opportunity to share this leave between them.
A key feature of shared parental leave is that it can be taken in several blocks. Eligible parents will be able to make use of a mixture of weeks of work and leave in the first year of their child’s life, returning to work between periods of leave if they wish. A parent with a partner who adopts a child will have the same rights, as will intended parents in surrogacy.
According to estimates from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills there are expected to be around 285,000 working couples who will be eligible to share their leave from April.
Acas has produced guidance on shared parental leave and pay.
Lara Murray, associate solicitor in Palmers’ Employment Law team, said: “There is no obligation on couples to share parental leave but the new arrangements will give new parents much greater flexibility in those challenging first weeks and months of caring for their new baby or adopted child.
“Employers need to make sure they are clear about their new responsibilities around shared parental leave, and the rights of employees, and update internal policies and procedures so that they can comply fully with the new rules. For further information and clarification, please contact our Employment Law team.”