Please talk me through shared parental leave

[CakePigeon30]

Hi,
Just as the title says above.

I am a teacher but don't think anyone in my school has done it before.

I'm due in the summer so still got ages to fill out the forms but am wanting to go back to 'work' for February half term, Easter hols and May half term so that my husband can take this time off as shared parental leave. My understanding is that I would be paid my wage in these weeks and my husband would get the shared parental pay instead.

Just wondering about filling in the forms as there seems a lot of them!!

This may be a silly question but will form 1 and 2 just go to my employer and then 4 go to their employer and then the two employers will just get in touch with each other? Or does both employers need a set of all forms each?

Did you all fill out the form before you started maternity leave?

Suppose I am a bit worried that somewhere someone will mess up with sorting out the forms and we will end up unpaid!!

Thanks ☺️

Hi op, there's a page on Facebook called life after teaching and this question gets asked a lot. I'm not sure if the ins and outs myself.

Thanks will have a look!

Are you sure it can be split like this? I don’t think you can just dip in and out. You can take mat leave for x amount of time followed but your husband taking x amount of time but you can’t just chop and change like you’re suggesting as far as I know

I have done this but DP and I both work for the same employer, so it was a lot easier to organise! In theory, it could work out as you suggest, if the baby is born late enough that May half term is still within the first 39 weeks, when you'd be eligible for ShPP. However, your employer (and your husband's) doesn't have to agree to the blocks of time you are applying for if they don't work for the business, so you'd want to double-check with both that they don't have a problem with it beforehand.

The other thing to consider is what the maternity/paternity/shared parental pay policies are at both your and your husband's workplaces. If your husband's employer has a good enhanced pay package, you might want to consider adjusting your dates especially if his package is front-loaded, i.e. pays out more in the weeks closer to the birth. For example, if he earns more than you and his employer offers an enhanced salary package, you could potentially both take some time off together, but have him take the ShPP for that bit. You might then be able to cover some of the holiday weeks with annual leave.

The other thing that is worth considering (esp if husband can get enhanced pay in the earlier part of the year) is to come back for the Christmas holidays instead, if they are longer. Your current plan has four blocks, essentially: 1 maternity leave, then 3 blocks of SPL. If you end the mat leave for Christmas, you wouldn't be able to cover all the half terms, but you might end up better off overall?

Yes, it can. She can take a period of mat leave, and three separate blocks of SPL if she likes. However, the exact timing has to be agreed with the employer. Her husband can also take the time off simultaneously with her if he wants.

@Lime90 hi yes you can, you can take up to three blocks each but only when you get on to SMP (you couldn't dip in and out of your maternity pay)

I didn’t know this! I’m obviously of no further use to you on this thread 😂

I have done this twice and saved thousands of pounds. There's a website all about it and for a small fee the woman will do all of it for you, worth it for ££££s saved! I did do it myself using her guidance which is very clear.

@BarnacleBeasley thanks for this. Yes will need to check didn't even consider them saying no! I get paid more than my husband so not sure the Christmas one will be worth it, as I'd still have my maternity pay over the Christmas hols which I would have to end early to go on shared pay, but will look at it as do need to sit down properly with the calculator! The May half term will literally be the 39th week (but aware the baby could come earlier 🤨).

@Lime90 🤣🤣

@User415373 thanks for this, do you know what website?

https://www.teachersspl.co.uk/

It’s screwing school budgets - not your problem as it’s allowed but it’s a loop hole for teaching as you’re back at work, can’t be asked to work as it’s the holiday and the husband still works too!

It led to a school down the road having to lose TAs as the insurance doesn’t cover it and they had a number of maternity leaves at once.

They probably wouldn't say no - they don't have to agree to your preferred dates if you're applying for separate blocks all on the same form, but they'd have no particular reason not to agree if it's not disruptive for them. Your DH's employer could potentially refuse specific dates though if they need him for something. He would get round that by submitting them one at a time rather than all on the same form.

Isn't it the case that teachers can't accrue holidays, though? Everyone else gets to accrue their annual leave and add it on to their mat leave, so this evens things up for teachers.

You find that teachers leave at the end of a holiday and return at the beginning so no - not really.

@Strictly1 I think what @BarnacleBeasley means is that anyone else could take 9 months off paid then when SMP ends they could go back to work but then add their holidays on to the end, so they are still off but still being paid, which is the same as this scenario.

I do understand that it will cost the school but we will are entitled to it, it mentions it on both NEU and NASUWT websites. My husband will be off so will get the ShPP instead. It is a loophole with the holidays but if I chose to do it during term time and go back in short bursts (as you are entitled to three blocks of back to work), the school would still have to keep my maternity cover employed and I wouldn't have a timetable, so would still end up costing the school the same.

But you’d save on supply.

I know you’re entitled to it but it does have a cost to the school.

Use the website teachersspl
it’s around £50 but well worth it as they look at your maternity dates, choose the dates that will get you the most pay and then fill in all the paperwork and ensure it’s correct and give you guidance on when to send off etc. it took a lot of stress away from me. I knew someone who insisted on doing it themselves but they actually missed out on some pay as they’d misunderstood and got the dates wrong.

also just in case you’re not aware, your partner doesn’t actually need to be off at the same time. I took spl for Christmas, feb half term and Easter but my partner still worked - there isn’t a requirement for them to actually be off work (obviously if you want them to they can be!)

I get this but like you say, it's not the OPs problem. Teacher mat pay isn't as good as other public sectors, and I personally felt I absolutely deserved it after working 60+ hours a week for ten years, spending hundreds on my own resources etc etc.

No idea about the formalities, but just wanted to jump in and say that my DH and I split the year and it was the best idea ever. It meant he had to learn how to do all the practical hands on stuff with the baby, rather than me becoming the "expert" and him the fall back. He became a relaxed and confident dad and I think had a much better bond with our children as a result. This is basically what Scandinavian countries try to encourage, and is why they have such equal societies.

In most cases the father doesn’t actually take the time off.

Was going to suggest the same, I used the option where they fill the forms in for you and it was peace of mind that it had been done properly. They were really quick and also quick to update them when I had my DD earlier than she was expected