Shared Parental Leave

Peerzy · 20 Mar 2018 at 10:42

Has anyone done this?

My wife is pregnant (due 22/08) and is a teacher. This means from the end of July she will be off anyway so her maternity will start whenever she gives birth.

She's planning on returning to work on (or around) 1st July 2019 which would mean she'd take roughly 10 months of maternity leave. All of her maternity pay will have run out by this point (after 9 months) and I'm looking into if I can take some of her unused maternity leave (effectively around 2 months) and take time off my work.

I'm happy to take the 2 months off unpaid (although reading into it I might get ShPP) and I read as long as my wife gives a binding date of when she's going back to work I can take the time at the same time she is off.

Am I reading into everything correctly? Money aside this seems ideal and will allow me to take 2 months off whilst my wife is off work with the newborn.

Dan103 · 20 Mar 2018 at 12:41

If your wife takes all 39 weeks of paid Maternity leave then you will not be eligible to be paid ShPP. The idea is that the first 39 weeks paid at £140.98 is shared. For example she takes 30 weeks paid returns to work or ends her paid leave and you could take the remaining 9 weeks as paid ShPP.

If your taking the remainder of her 52 week entitlement it will just be classed as parental leave and will be unpaid. As you say she would have to confirm her return date.

It can be done in blocks but it can become a nightmare planning it.

Be best to read the below.
https://www.gov.uk/shared-parental-leave-and-pay

Peerzy · 20 Mar 2018 at 13:11

Dan103 said:
If your wife takes all 39 weeks of paid Maternity leave then you will not be eligible to be paid ShPP. The idea is that the first 39 weeks paid at £140.98 is shared. For example she takes 30 weeks paid returns to work or ends her paid leave and you could take the remaining 9 weeks as paid ShPP.

If your taking the remainder of her 52 week entitlement it will just be classed as parental leave and will be unpaid. As you say she would have to confirm her return date.

It can be done in blocks but it can become a nightmare planning it.

Be best to read the below.
https://www.gov.uk/shared-parental-leave-and-pay

Thanks - I'd gone through the Government website a few times but didn't find it very clear.

My understanding is correct then, so I won't be paid but can (if I choose) take the remaining balance of her 52 weeks maternity leave.

dl8860 · 20 Mar 2018 at 13:17

I'm in a similar boat. Would it be the case that if OP can negotiate 'flexible' unpaid leave that isn't technically parental leave, then this wouldn't required any confirmed return dates and would effectively have the same result?

Peerzy · 20 Mar 2018 at 13:24

dl8860 said:
I'm in a similar boat. Would it be the case that if OP can negotiate 'flexible' unpaid leave that isn't technically parental leave, then this wouldn't required any confirmed return dates and would effectively have the same result?

Yes - by the sounds of it.

Having it as shared parent leave just means work can't say no to it.

You can take it in 3 blocks though (which I think I might do). It should give me a decent amount of time off as a family over the first 9 months including holiday and paternity leave;

2 weeks off paternity leave when the baby is born
1 month off shared parental leave in January
2 weeks off shared parental leave in April
2 weeks off shared parental leave in June

All of the above will be unpaid (apart from 3 days of paternity leave) but add in holiday and I can reasonably expect 3.5 months off.

Dan103 · 20 Mar 2018 at 13:59

Peerzy said:
Thanks - I'd gone through the Government website a few times but didn't find it very clear.

My understanding is correct then, so I won't be paid but can (if I choose) take the remaining balance of her 52 weeks maternity leave.

Yes that would be correct.

Peerzy said:
Yes - by the sounds of it.

All of the above will be unpaid (apart from 3 days of paternity leave) but add in holiday and I can reasonably expect 3.5 months off.

What do you mean by only the 3 days paternity leave ? the two weeks paternity leave would be paid at £140.98 per week as long as you qualify.This will rise to £145.18 per week commencing 06/04/2018.

Edit : Statutory Figures

Skiddley · 20 Mar 2018 at 14:08

Worth checking with your employer, as mine offered 2 weeks full pay.

kinobestew123 · 20 Mar 2018 at 15:00

Skiddley said:
Worth checking with your employer, as mine offered 2 weeks full pay.

Yes, mine gave 6 weeks full pay (4 weeks of which was Shared Parental Leave).

Just watch out for clawback terms if you are thinking of changing jobs in the near future.

Peerzy · 20 Mar 2018 at 15:03

Sorry - my company is 3 days full pay of paternity leave and the remaining up to 2 weeks paid at statutory .