Statutory Mat Pay

[Moll2020]

Can I ask for advice please? I’m asking on behalf of my niece & her DH. They had a baby boy end of Dec. Niece went back to work FT middle of July as her & DH had agreed to share the maternity leave. He is now supposed to be on paternity leave until middle of September but he is ill & can’t look after the baby. They are relying on family to have the baby while Neice is in work. Neice is very upset about this and cross with DH as she wishes they hadn’t come to this agreement. She would love to go back on maternity leave to look after the baby herself. Is there anything they can do?

If he’s unwell why is she angry?

Shared parental leave is a thing but not sure if your niece can go back on maternity leave if she’s returned to work
but if she does that, will they both be not earning?

She should be able to go on shared parental leave? If DH is not using it. Can he cancel his and be on sick leave instead? How sick is he?

I’m not sure she can do that. Why is she cross at her husband for being ill?

He should go on sick leave and she can apply to change ShPL https://www.gov.uk/shared-parental-leave-and-pay/applying-for-leave-and-pay

You can change your mind later about how much SPL or ShPP you plan to take and when you want to take it. You must give notice of any changes at least 8 weeks before the start of any leave.

That’s the minimum notice, some employers may work with requests.

She’s cross with him being ill because he’s ill for lots of things - he’s not a very strong person, slightest sniffle and it’s flu, at the moment he has a bad back!

She mad at herself too then for having a baby with someone and then moaning about them for being them?

Sounds like he is on shared parental rather than paternity leave. If so, it could be an option to end his leave so she goes off instead, but there is a minimum notice period.