Shared Parental Leave

23rd June 2015

Employer’s shouldn’t be too alarmed when receiving requests for Shared Parental Leave.  According to the (Trade Union Centre) TUC at least 40% of fathers will NOT be eligible due to their partner not being in paid work.

For parents of children born or matched for adoption on or after 5 April 2015

Under this new system parents will be able to choose how they share the care of their child during the first year after birth. Mothers will still take at least the initial two week following the birth, following that they can choose to end the maternity leave and the parents can opt to share the remaining leave as flexible parental leave. Also under this new shared parental leave it is proposed to allow the husband, civil partner or partner of the pregnant women the right to unpaid time off to attend up to 2 antenatal appointments.

New statutory pay rates from 6 April 2015

Statutory pay for maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave increased to £139.58 per week.

Statutory sick pay (SSP) rate increased to £88.45 per week.

Statutory adoption leave and pay from 6 April 2015

The statutory adoption leave no longer has the 26-week qualifying period, and adoption pay will be brought in line with maternity pay, which will be 90% of normal earning for the first six weeks.

Parental Leave extended to 18 from 6 April 2015

The right to unpaid parental was extended to parents of any child under the age of 18 years.

New limit for redundancy pay from 6 April 2015

The limit for a week’s pay when calculating redundancy pay increased to £475.