There has been a shift in parenting norms, with research finding that Millennial dads spend three times as much time with their kids as they did in the ‘60s. To reflect this, and in an attempt to close the gender pay gap largely caused by the ‘motherhood penalty’, the UK has introduced shared parental leave.
So what is it, why is it so great, and who is eligible?
How does shared parental leave work?
Shared parental leave (or SPL) and shared parental pay (ShPP) is a way to split parental leave between two people responsible for a child. It’s an alternate to the standard maternity and paternity leave policies that give a longer stretch of leave to mothers and just two weeks to the father/partner. The UK’s paternity leave is widely viewed as poor, falling far short of other countries in Europe.
In the UK, SPL allows two parents to split 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay between them in the first year after having a baby or adopting a child. After an initial two weeks’ compulsory maternity leave, how they divide this up is up to them. They can take leave at the same time, or staggered over the year. It’s a way to share the long stretch of leave previously only given to mothers. For example, a mum who has taken 20 weeks of mat leave and SMP will have 32 weeks of SPL and 19 weeks of ShPP left to share with their partner.
Both parents must meet the same work and earnings criteria (these differ for birth parents and adoptive parents) – you must be an ‘employee’ and earn at least £123 a week on average, and must legally share responsibility for the child. But if you’re eligible for statutory pat/mat leave, you should be able to get SPL and ShPP.
Positive impact
From a business point of view, the flexibility of SPL spreads the burden of childcare across a whole workforce instead of just half of it. This should minimise the impact on everyone, and increase understanding of and empathy for ‘the juggle’.
It also gives men/partners equal access to that precious period early on in a child’s life, and allows them to better support their partner in the emotionally, mentally and physically demanding task of childbirth and post-partum recovery. Overall, it recognises that parenting is a two-person job, and in a world where two-income households are now the norm (a necessity, even), it’s much more reflective of the typical family setup.
Over time, as SPL becomes more normalised, the unequal impact that having a family has on women’s careers versus men’s should begin to reduce. As well as being fairer, this also benefits employers, as by keeping mothers in work and able to progress in their careers, they can tap into the huge value that their female staff offer. A diverse and balanced workforce is a productive and profitable one.
Managing shared parental leave effectively
For businesses, implementing SPL effectively requires a structured staff leave planner. This ensures that leave requests are processed smoothly, workloads are balanced, and the impact on operations is minimised. Many companies use an online leave management system to streamline leave tracking and ensure transparency in managing employee leave entitlements.
Uptake and acceptance
Of course, we only get to see the positive impact of SPL if there is uptake. This means tackling any stigma about parental roles and who the burden of childcare should fall on. This can be done by creating a culture where men are given the same options to work flexibly around family life. If a man leaves early to go to a school play, look after a sick child or do nursery pickup, this shouldn’t be worthy of comment. If, as a manager, you get wind of any such remarks, then a quiet word with the person concerned to re-state your company values and commitment to gender equality should help to prevent any claims of unfair treatment.
Key takeaways
SPL is a big step towards tackling the gender pay gap and the outdated norms around child-rearing that sustain it. By letting parents share up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay, SPL puts some power back in the hands of families, letting them design a plan that works for them.
For business, SPL helps spread the impact of parental leave more evenly across the workforce, and keeps mothers engaged and able to progress in their careers. Yet uptake will remain low if stigma around men having a childcare role is able to persist. With the right culture, SPL has the potential to transform workplaces and drive productivity overall – we call that a huge win!
Author – Phil Norton
Phil is the co-founder of Leave Dates, the employee annual leave planner. He loves problem-solving and making life easier for small businesses. If you book a Leave Dates demo, he will give you a warm welcome and show you everything that you need to know.
