Shared Parental Leave

Shared Parental Leave policy 

Shared Parental Leave booking form 

SPLIT days (Shared Parental Leave In Touch days) are up to 20 full-paid days which, when agreed with your line manager, can be used during Shared Parental Leave (ShPL). This could include attending work, working from home, work meetings, or attending a team away day. 

We recommend the gov.uk Shared Parental Leave and Pay tool which can help to determine the different ways in which your leave and pay can be allocated between both parents.

Shared Parental Leave allows you and your partner to decide how best to share the care of your child and it can be taken in a continuous or discontinuous manner. The reasons for choosing this option may be driven by finances, career aspirations or simply to share the extended time that both parents can spend getting to know their newborn.

Shared Parental Leave allows flexibility for you and your partner and there are multiple ways in which it can be used. In order to understand whether this would be useful for your circumstances, some example scenarios are listed.

• Option one: Both parents may wish to start their ShPL during their baby's first month.  This may support the birth giver's recovery and provide bonding time in the first weeks. 
• Option two: Both parents could take 25 weeks of ShPL at the same time.  
• Option three: Birth giver returns to work after Maternity Pay ends and partner takes ShPL.
• Option four: With approval, discontinuous ShPL of up to 3 separate blocks can be taken.

Please do make contact with your HR Advisor if you would like more information or support with this decision. 

You can also try out the Shared Parental Leave Planner to understand more. 

Eligibility of Shared Parental Leave (ShPL) 

Employee must share the main responsibility for the care of the child at the time of the birth/placement for adoption and the employee: 

• is the mother/adopter of the child or  
• the father of the child, spouse, civil partner or partner of the child’s mother/adopter.

Additional criteria required: 

• the mother/adopter of the child must be entitled to statutory maternity/adoption leave or pay or maternity allowance
• the mother/adopter of the child must have given notice to reduce any maternity or adoption entitlements
• the employee must have worked for St Mary’s University for a minimum of 26 weeks as at the 15th week before the expected due date #/matching date
• the employee must still be working for St Mary’s University at the start of each period of ShPL
• the employee’s partner must have worked in at least 26 of the 66 weeks leading up to the child’s expected due date/matching date and meet a minimum earnings threshold in any 13 of these weeks. (Further information on the minimum earnings threshold is available from the Human Resources Department)
• the employee must correctly notify St Mary’s University of their entitlement and provide evidence as required.

Eligibility of Shared Parental Pay (ShPP):

• the mother/adopter must be entitled to statutory maternity/adoption pay or maternity allowance 
• the mother/adopter must have reduced their maternity/adoption pay period or maternity allowance period
• the employee must intend to care for the child during the week in which ShPP is payable  
• the employee must have earned on average at least the National Insurance lower earnings limit during the eight weeks up to and including the 15th week before the child’s expected due date/matching date.
• the employee must remain in continuous employment until the first week of ShPP has begun  
• the employee must give proper notification in accordance with the guidelines set out in this policy.

Employees who qualify for Occupational ShPP will receive:

• 16 weeks at full pay, inclusive of statutory shared parental pay;

• 21 weeks at flat rate statutory shared parental pay (or 90% of earnings if this is less than flat rate SMP*); and

• Additional leave will be unpaid.

You can check your eligibility by using the eligibility checker tool.  

If you are considering taking Shared Parental Leave, please discuss your plans with your line manager as early as possible.

You will be required to completed the Shared Parental Leave and Booking form and return it to HR department at least eight weeks before you would like your Shared Parental Leave period to start.