Shared Parental Leave: share your views and you could win £300! NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

Parents with children due or adopted from 5 April will be among the first to take advantage of Shared Parental Leave. To coincide with its introduction Shared Parental Leave, we have been asked by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills to find out what you think about this new policy for parents.

The team there say "From April 2015, parents will have greater choice and flexibility over how they share the care of their child in the first year of their life. Shared Parental Leave allows working couples share up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay in a way that suits their work and family needs. For example, parents can take time off together or they can tag team, stopping and starting leave and returning to work in between if they wish.
Check your eligibility and how much pay you can get here. We'd love to know what you think about this and how you'd use it for your family."

So, please have a look at the information provided here and let us know on this thread what you think. If you or your partner is pregnant and your baby is due from 5 April do you think you'll use it? Would you have used it when you had your last child if it had been an option? Do you think you will share leave with your partner if you have children in the future? How would it work in your family?

Have a look at the video:

Add your comment by 30 March 2015 at 9am and you'll be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher for the store of your choice (from a list). Insight T&Cs apply

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

[CMOTDibbler]

Too late for me, but we'd have loved to have done this, especially if you can go back to work and then back on leave. In my role there was no chance of cover, but I could have done 2 weeks on and off

[InAndOfMyself]

I think we would have used it if it had been available in the past, it would have made my second maternity leave more enjoyable as I could have spent the first months concentrating more on the baby instead of trying to find enough time for both boys and failing miserably.

I do intend to have another baby but not with my exH! I would consider splitting the leave but it would be my decision to make, not my partner's.

[marlus]

With twins due April 15th, for us this is a very lucky break! My husband will take two months off in the summer, just after we'll have moved to a farm, which will give us a chance to settle there, to spend time as a family (also with older DS, 4) and to enjoy ourselves (hopefully) rather than just coping. We are still working out which one of us will take the month after off, which might well depend on how busy our respective jobs are, so the flexibility is great. On the other hand, being the first in both work places to take the leave (I work for a big employer, he for a small one) has been a bit of a nightmare, with nothing finalised despite there only being two weeks to go until my mat leave....

[sianihedgehog]

I probably will not. As I intend to exclusively breastfeed, it would not be practical for my partner to stay home instead of me. We also can't afford the drop in earnings

[FishWithABicycle]

I think it's great and if we have another one we'd definitely use it so that I could get back to work asap as DH is a lot more "maternal" than I am frankly.
I do think there should be the capacity for both parents to be off at the same time if that's what works for them (perhaps with some limit on how long for) without increasing the total number of weeks of leave.
I also think there should be something written into the rules to force employers who offer enhanced maternity leave packages to offer something enhanced to fathers taking part of the leave - with limits to ensure that families don't get double-paid but if the mum goes back after 10 weeks and the dad works somewhere where women get e.g. 50% salary until 26 weeks, then he should get 50% salary for 16 weeks.

But it's a brilliant step towards equality. I hope lots of families use it - the more that do, the better women's careers will be generally as employers will have less reason to discriminate against women of childbearing age if a man with a wife/partner of childbearing age is just as likely to take leave.

[willnotbetamed]

A similar system was introduced in Germany on 1 January 2007. Our first son was born late 2007 and our second in 2010, and we took advantage both times. There are 14 months of paid leave available, remuneration is at about 65% of salary, and two months of the 14 are reserved for the second parent; if the second parent chooses not to use them, then the total amount of leave is reduced to 12 months.

The first time, I wasn't earning (I was a student), so my husband only took the two "Papa-Months" as they are called - on one salary, we couldn't afford for him to take longer. In the two months he took off, I took exams and qualified for the final written part of my degree. The second time round I was working, and so we split the leave 7 months for me - 5 months for him (we kept two months back but in the end we didn't use them). Now we are expecting our third child and are initially planning a 50-50 split (six months each), with two months reserved for me again next summer if the childcare situation is not settled.

The culture around parental leave has started to change significantly since this system came in. In the first year or two of parental leave, the take-up rate among men was low (I think around 10%) and they mostly only took the two Papa-Monate. But since then the take-up rate has gone up to more than 25%, and although the proportion of men taking more than two months is still fairly low, it is rising too. A lot of men still claim that it's difficult for them to take the time off, their boss won't agree, etc. But as men come under more pressure, at least to take those two months off work, it is becoming more acceptable and normal for men to take responsibility for childcare. And of course, it has become more normalized and acceptable for women to go back sooner if they want to, because they are not needing to pay for institutional childcare for very young children, but can still have them cared for at home. My husband worked for a very male-dominated firm when our first two were born (landscape gardeners - all employees apart from the two secretaries were men). His boss wasn't exactly in favour and he had quite a bit of banter to put up with - but his parental leave paved the way for others since then. If the culture can become more accepting there, then it can change anywhere!

One small problem is that the two (or more) months of leave for the second parent don't have to be taken sequentially - they can be taken alongside the main parent's leave entitlement. This is great in some cases - it allows fathers to take of e.g. a full month or even two after the baby is born, great for bonding, especially if the mother had a difficult birth. BUT it doesn't encourage domestic roles to change much - mothers then still do all the childcare, and the fathers are there to help out.

I really think it helped us as a couple that we always took the leave sequentially. My husband got loads of confidence about his ability to manage a baby (and then a baby and a toddler!) and I also realized that his way of doing things was different but not inferior to mine. It also made it much easier to split up e.g. taking sick leave from work when the kids are ill. I know lots of mothers who are stuck with this job because it is somehow always their responsibility to look after poorly kids, even if they work. My husband feels entirely responsible too after several months of being primary childcarer, and when the kids are ill we split up the time off between us. It really makes us feel like we are equal at home, which in my view is a huge advantage. In fact, there is no way I would have considered a third child without this system - I'm happy to split parental leave again and spend some months at home, but would not have been willing to take on another baby (and 12 months+ at home) completely on my own.

I really encourage all parents in the UK to take advantage of this system if they possibly can - it might mean making financial sacrifices in the short-term, but in the long-term it will help change the culture of childcare both in the workplace and at home, giving both fathers and mothers the freedom to enjoy parenting and the possibility of continuing a career.

[TelephoneIgnoringMachine]

I don't know - it wouldn't have applied when I had DD in 2012 as DH was unemployed. That said, it was lovely having him around to help with everything after the birth, he bonded wonderfully with DD, and he has always said that being SAHP for a few months after I went back to work, was one of the best things he's ever done.

As for the drop in earnings - I suspect most people would struggle to cope for more than a few weeks, if they had both been employed, then both took leave at the same time. Or they would need to have a fair chunk of money saved up. DH and I seriously struggled while I was on Mat Leave as we only got my mat pay & CB, really struggled to get any other benefits due to my "full time" employment status.

That said, I do think it's a good policy and an improvement, we need more flexibility and recognition of the valuable role of fathers and partners, not just mothers, in childcare. I also imagine it would be very helpful to be able to book additional time off for the partner, where a ELCS is planned for.

[Tigger31]

I can't believe this is a new thing to be honest. It makes sense that both parents have the opportunity to take leave to bond with & raise their child(ren).
If only this applied to family-run farms! Unfortunately I can't see my o/h getting any time off at all: cows still need milking!

[BathshebaDarkstone]

It wouldn't have been an option for us anyway as DH was self-employed, so he took time off when he wanted to and it was unpaid.

[DoingIt]

We wouldn't have used it, mostly because our children were breasfed and DH obviously couldn't do that. Also, I am the lower earner so it wouldn't have made sense financially.
However, I think that it is great to have the option there for families who want it. It needs to be simple as possible to administer and well publisised to make sure all those who could benefit from it are aware.

[ThisIsOurBlanket]

I think it's a great idea, though I'm not sure if we would have used it. I think it might have made things a bit too difficult financially if we had both taken leave together, but we might have taken it sequentially.

I went back to work part time when DD was 11 months - it would have been great if DH could have taken "part-time" leave then so he could have looked after DD 2 days a week while I was at work, not sure if you are allowed to do that under this system.

[georgedawes]

I think it is a really good idea and long overdue. We would definitely have considered using it when we had our child. I think this is really important and needs to be pushed so men actually can feel like they can take it if they want to - it has the potential to have a significant impact on sex discrimination if it has good take up. But there is the danger that men will feel like they can't really take it! I hope politicians lead by example!!

[Skiptonlass]

It's a great idea and it works fantastically here in sweden. Here you're encouraged to share as equally as possible. Each parent has 60 days that only they can take and then the rest can be split as you like. The end result is more engaged fathers, more choice and much, much less sex discrimination in the workplace.

Here we have much better pay on leave as well - you get a certain amount of time on 80% of your salary up to a ceiling. This, and the heavily subsidised childcare, are what really makes the difference - people aren't forced to go back to work early or forced to quit their job to avoid huge child care fees. Childcare is very high quality so almost all women work, and thus pay tax.

It's a step in the right direction, for sure. Now let's see the government look at better, cheaper childcare as well. If you want very high rates of females engagement in the workforce, and the wider tax base that brings, it's a no brainer.

[WowOoo]

It's too late for us.

I know of at least one couple that this would have been perfect for. The tag team idea is great as long as employers are supportive.

The problem is that some employers are not compatible with starting a family. A male friend who had to take time off work to help at home was treated with disdain by his boss. It caused him and his partner so much stress in the early days.

[jodiecrossley1]

I think it is a great idea and about time!

[lizd31]

It's a great idea & should have been brought into force a long time ago

[scatterbrainedlass]

I am self-employed, and will only be entitled to the basic £138 a week. I had hoped that my husband would be able to take paternity leave at 90% of his income and therefore allow me to stay in work, but having just used the above link to do some calculations, he is also only entitled to £138 a week, despite having a regular full-time job as a paid employee. I am not entitled to shared leave, he is, but again, at the basic rate of £138 a week. Unfortunately, it looks like any kind of parental leave will be at a minimum for us, as neither of us can afford to take extended time off at those rates. In our circumstance, it really doesn't make the slightest bit of difference, it certainly doesn't benefit us in any way.

[xxgeexx]

i think its the best idea they've ever had, about time, it makes sense for the parental responsibility to be shared equally in the eyes of the government in this day and age and makes sense for parents

[sscrase]

It's too late for me now that my little person is 4 months but would loved to have shared the leave with my wife. I think there will be some blockers put up by companies by only paying the bare minimum for fathers whereas full maternity leave seems to be a lot more. It's definitely a start though.

[rachheap2014]

Me and my husband both work self employed from home so it would not really be suitable for us however i think it is a great idea, I also think it will help discrimination when employers are looking to hire women of child bearing age

[Chopstheduck]

I love the idea and def would have liked to have used it. Not sure dh would have wanted to though!

[Sophieelmer]

It's likely we will take it up at the end of my upcoming leave. I breastfeed our dc so need to be off for the 1st few months. However I'm also the highest earner. At the moment our plan is for DH to take the last 3 months of the year, when I'd be back at work anyway to stay at home with all dc. It will save us a furtune in childcare costs and means the baby isn't in full time childcare too soon.

[janeyf1]

Although personally I would be unlikely to use it, I do think it is a good idea to offer shared parental leave so as to provide fairer options. For some it could work really well. It just depends on the circumstances

[prwilson]

It's great that it makes it more flexible for parents, but I can't see the uptake being that big.

[glennamy]

Would have loved this when my eldest daughter was first born, however I still feel that depending on your type of job and position within the company it could still count against you if taken up.