Can someone explain shared parental leave to me?

[Focusfocus]

I'm having some trouble wrapping my head around shared parental leave to come into effect next month and we really want to avail of it!

Background - I am a public sector worker on a permanent contract, been here for three years and am entitled to roughly 2 months maternity leave full pay, 4 more months at something around 70% full pay and at this point I.e. 6 months I would return to work. This would leave me with 6 months of maternity leave (on a very reduced pay) but I won't be taking it. DH is a private sector worker and been in this job for 8 years.

Ideally we would like DH to take 3 blocks of parental leave to "share" my unclaimed 6 remaining months of maternity leave with me. We would like this to be a month at the very outset overlapping with my maternity leave. Then a month towards the end of my maternity leave and a couple of mons after my maternity leave ends.

I think we are looking at a total of 3-4 months of shared parental leave for him. On total then we would have taken 6 months maternity leave (me) and 3/4 parental leave (him) of a maximum possible of 6 months.

So my question is - is this a correct understanding of shared parental leave? How much will DH be paid while on these chunks of leave? Any advice anyone?

[snowgirl1]

How much your DH will be paid will depend on whether his company offer enhanced paternity/shared parental leave payments or whether they just offer statutory. The statutory rate for Shared Parental Leave is 138.18 per week.

[TheWildRumpyPumpus]

Does it not have to be taken in one block? Otherwise it's very hard for the company to plan temp workers etc.

[Focusfocus]

No the government guidance specifically says it can be taken in seperate blocks, not necessarily in one go.

[soundsystem]

Your understanding is correct. Remember statutory pay is only for 9 months (although you're entitled to 12 you only get paid for 9), so some if what you're proposing would be unpaid.

And congratulations!

[soundsystem]

Sorry that's 9 months paid between you plus 2 weeks paid paternity for you DH

[LostMySocks]

I'm not sure whether you are allows to overlap your leave periods.

[boatrace30]

My understanding is that, yes, you can split up the time and you can also take it together. However, what you are paid will very much depend on what his company offers in terms of enhanced benefits.
My understanding is that if for example, you both got 6 months of enhanced pay, you would actually have used 2 months of that entitlement after your first month off. i.e. you can't take 6 months of enhanced and then he takes 6 months enhanced. Does that make sense? Very hard to explain and I am not even sure if I am correct!

[MissTwister]

I thought it couldn't overlap!!

[MissTwister]

Also I believe very very few places offer enhanced paternity packages so he would get the 2 weeks then just statutory. In my eyes this makes the whole thing a bit pointless!!

[BicycleMadeForTwo]

We are looking to do this too and I can't believe how confusing it is. Neither mine or DH's workplace know what's going on - helpful!

[MissTwister]

I just read the government guidance to try and help. It is incredibly confusing!!!

[avocadotoast]

I think you're fine to do what you're proposing - so taking time off together, overlapping, or in separate blocks is all ok.

What you do need to be careful of is how it might affect your pay. In order to do it, you'll need to formally end your maternity leave and switch into shared parental leave before your DH has his first lot of time off. Mat leave and SPL are not the same thing so employers can pay you differently for them (eg. if your employer offers and enhanced maternity package, which it sounds like yours does, they don't have to do the same for SPL).

Which could mean that for the time you're off, you'll only get statutory pay.

Definitely worth speaking to your HR dept to check where you'd stand!

[Focusfocus]

Thanks everyone! Yes, will need to have a conversation with HR about this.

[LilyMagenta]

I've been looking into SPL for a book I'm writing, and now for a national newspaper too. The most comprehensive & helpful info I've seen on the subject so far is from Acas (eg www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4911), and they have a helpline too.
Focusfocus, I'd really like to include an example like yours in the article I'm working on. If you could message me I'd be extremely grateful. Many thanks.