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AIBU?

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Original poster

Shared Parental Leave

29 replies

Suzybiscuits · 19/06/2025 20:29

Evening,

Need the hive minds help here, always found advice on here pretty decent and helpful!

Im taking maternity leave, 12 months. I get an enhanced rate. My husband and I want to take one months shared parental leave, in July. We work in different places

My work have sent me a breakdown of my
pay which is very confusing. It says im only entitlement to six weeks of my pay at 90% and after that its straight onto SMP at £187 a week-which is nothing, and not what we were expecting! Does opting into SPL mean you cut your entitlement? I should get 3months of 100% pay, so to see six weeks at 90% is very scary….

Im still waiting for my work to get back to me with the calculations so seeing what happened to others who have taken this option?

Thanks for reading

OP posts:
LottieMary · 19/06/2025 21:03

you have to ‘convert’ so stop your mat leave and start SPL instead. Many workplaces at this point won’t pay the occupational maternity pay. Your other option is to do your mat leave until your occupational pay runs out and then share the leave.

many leave your husband takes is taken off your entitlement so if you have 12 months I don’t think he can have any other than his individual paternity leave

Original poster
Suzybiscuits · 19/06/2025 21:03

My organisations SPL leaflet is just 2 pages long, and doesnt contain any information about pay if you opt into this system, which is why now im really worried we have royally screwed ourselves over by him having a month of my leave

OP posts:
NorthernDuck · 19/06/2025 21:01

What is your employers policy for SPL, does it offer enhanced pay. Some employers offer enhanced maternity but not enhanced SPP so yes converting to SPL could mean you end up with less. You may need to look at parental leave for him or taking it at the end if your employer only offers enhanced mat pay.

Mrsttcno1 · 19/06/2025 20:42

Opting for shared parental leave does reduce your maternity pay, yes, because you are giving some of it up to give to your partner.