Anyone got their heads around shared parental leave?

[curiouscat1987]

Everytime i think ive understood it something else seems to come up!

Basically, i understand that you get up to 50 weeks to share between you, and can take it either at the same time or separately, but im confused about the pay. I've been told that if you take the leave at the same time only one of you can be paid - so if im using my maternity leave for first 6 month (leaving 6 months for partner to take), and he takes it as spl at the same time as me,only one of us can receive pay for it. Does this stack up with other's experiences?

It seems very odd to me as then that would mean that in a one year period between you you can use 100% of the allowed leave, but if you take it at the same time you can only have 50% of the pay??

We're utilising about a months worth of SPL.

I've had it confirmed by employer that we can both be off AND paid at the same time which is what we're planning to do.

@LF02

We're utilising about a months worth of SPL.

I've had it confirmed by employer that we can both be off AND paid at the same time which is what we're planning to do.

Thanks, i wonder if its just the nhs's own policy that states this restriction as its nowhere in the legal legislation....will go back to hr i think!

Yes, that sounds odd and isn’t my understanding! I’m planning for DH to take it at the end for one month when I go back, assumed he’d be paid though...

We did SPL - the key thing is that it is one period of leave with one pay allowance with it. So you stop being on maternity leave and you are both on SPL for the rest of time - regardless as to whether or not you are actually 'off' if that makes sense. So I did 10 weeks of maternity leave and then we shared 30 weeks of SPL. We had to declare who would receive the SPL pay. I claimed that and when my husband was off at the same time as me he had that unpaid. He kept receiving his normal salary for the time he worked when on SPL though. But when we were on the leave together only one of us could claim the pay.

I work in payroll and I still have to look up all the rules every time someone requests it. I literally dread people asking for it 😂

It's so flipping complicated!

glad this isnt just me! we've started looking at this and confused to heck! also work for NHS!
does your OH work for NHS too? what im confused about is what if partners SPL policy is different/ (better or worse) to yours, which one do you go off?!
glad @cricketmum84 still looks it up ;)

@leftitlate37

glad this isnt just me! we've started looking at this and confused to heck! also work for NHS! does your OH work for NHS too? what im confused about is what if partners SPL policy is different/ (better or worse) to yours, which one do you go off?! glad *@cricketmum84* still looks it up ;)

Yes he does work in nhs, im pretty sure their policy is not strictly correct tbh. Will see what they say !

Ahhh SPL is an excellent concept and we loved it, but so few people do it and the rules are so convoluted that i think my HR rep turned to drink to cope with sorting mine!

Both parents can be on leave at the same time, and both paid, as long as neither of them are wearing odd socks and both make sure they're out of the house for at least 42 consecutive minutes every second Wednesday.