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Shared Parental Leave and Parental Leave – what do you think and know? Chance to win £100! NOW CLOSED

AnnMumsnet · 2016-04-04T11:24:22+00:00

As part of the [[http://www.mumsnet.com/family-friendly Mumsnet Family Friendly Programme]] we'd love to know what you think about these new employee benefits which have been introduced in the last few years. You can read about them below - please share on this thread your experience of them and your thoughts on them. Have you taken them up? Do you think you would? Have you heard of Parental Leave? How do you think employers feel about them? Has your employer promoted them to you/ employees? Has your partners company promoted them? All comments welcome! *Shared Parental Leave* - this is for new parents and is designed to give greater flexibility around the first year with a new baby Government info [[https://www.gov.uk/shared-parental-leave-and-pay/overview here]] ACAS guide [[http://www.acas.org.uk/media/pdf/1/c/Shared-Parental-Leave-a-good-practice-guide-for-employers-and-employees.pdf here]] *Parental Leave* - this is unpaid leave for parents to take care of a child's welfare - employees are entitled to 18 weeks’ leave for each child and adopted child, up to their 18th birthday with their job protected Government info [[https://www.gov.uk/parental-leave/overview here]] ACAS guide [[http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1637 here]] Both are obviously subject to specific terms. Add your view and you'll be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £100 voucher for the store of their choice. Click [[http://www.mumsnet.com/family-friendly/hall-of-fame-2015 here]] to learn more about companies who are working to make the UK a more family friendly place Thanks and good luck MNHQ [[http://www.mumsnet.com/pdf/terms-and-conditions-for-survey-prize-draws-v3.pdf Standard Insight T&C apply]]

301 replies

AnnMumsnet · 04/04/2016 12:24

As part of the Mumsnet Family Friendly Programme we'd love to know what you think about these new employee benefits which have been introduced in the last few years.

You can read about them below - please share on this thread your experience of them and your thoughts on them. Have you taken them up? Do you think you would? Have you heard of Parental Leave? How do you think employers feel about them? Has your employer promoted them to you/ employees? Has your partners company promoted them?

All comments welcome!

Shared Parental Leave - this is for new parents and is designed to give greater flexibility around the first year with a new baby
Government info here
ACAS guide here

Parental Leave - this is unpaid leave for parents to take care of a child's welfare - employees are entitled to 18 weeks’ leave for each child and adopted child, up to their 18th birthday with their job protected
Government info here
ACAS guide here

Both are obviously subject to specific terms.

Add your view and you'll be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £100 voucher for the store of their choice.

Click here to learn more about companies who are working to make the UK a more family friendly place

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&C apply

Shared Parental Leave and Parental Leave – what do you think and know? Chance to win £100! NOW CLOSED

OP posts:

pusinky · 10/04/2016 07:12

Shared Parental Leave is great but it's difficult to implement. Many people may feel pressure at work not to take it.

ThemisA · 10/04/2016 07:13

Good idea but there needs to be a cultural change before it can realistically work. For mum's who breast feed and can't express there isn't really a choice.

TracyKNixon · 10/04/2016 07:21

I think they are both a good idea - such choices gives parents more choice & flexibility in terms of work, child care and work-life balance.
I still think we will see more mother's staying at home initially with a new baby though.

sweir1 · 10/04/2016 07:21

I like the idea for both but realistically I don't think it would happen here

Roraima · 10/04/2016 07:26

It is the logical move for a parent being able to spend time with their tiniest ones at least at the beginning. Any one know the importance of bonding.

glenka · 10/04/2016 07:42

I think both ideas are very good.

buddyboy1966 · 10/04/2016 07:56

I think it is a great idea, as long as the child comes first, being a new parent is exhausting and life changing, you don't know how much until your little bundle is home with you. I thing it should be encouraged but open to negotiation if the partner doing the caring is fulfilling their caring responsibilities at the same time keeping involved with work to have 'catch up' days so when they return to work, it is not an alien environment for them.

bridge16 · 10/04/2016 08:08

I think the schemes are a good idea. Im currently pregnant with my 3rd but my partner earns a lot more than i do so doesnt make sense for us really to do it that way but i imagine its helpful for a lot of families.

mave · 10/04/2016 08:10

I love the idea as would love to have all the summer holidays off if we could afford it. Time goes fast and I want to cherish them whilst they're young.
The shared parenting for the first year would've been fab, it's fantastic to include dads in this crucial first year as sometimes they are forgotten or ignored by professionals and are just as important as mum's.

Jade5093 · 10/04/2016 08:23

I considered it and then realised the thought of my husband been at home and doing "my job" while I was at work all day just made me think that actually I couldn't do it! Plus the house would have most likely been a complete dive!

Annbunce · 10/04/2016 08:25

I personally feel that the mum should take the parental leave, although I appreciate that this isn't the case for everyone. Whenever one of the children are ill etc, I would be the one to take unpaid leave due to the nature of my other halves work.

ricola1 · 10/04/2016 08:45

I think it's a good thing

AnimalAddict · 10/04/2016 08:48

I think they are both great ideas but I'm not sure how successfully they'd be implemented here.

hiddenmichelle · 10/04/2016 08:59

love it - it gives maximum flexibility

pgwynne · 10/04/2016 09:04

It's a good idea on paper but in reality it would affect the biggest income earner as that person (I.e the husband) would have to lose a drop in their wages which would affect the whole family as most companies would not pay them what they would normally earn long term.

strawberrisc · 10/04/2016 09:07

I think this kind of flexiblity is beneficial for families and STILL behind other European countries.

phillie1 · 10/04/2016 09:14

great idea, especially if the wife earns a lot more than the husband

janeyf1 · 10/04/2016 09:18

A good idea in theory but don't think it will be as popular as hoped. Fathers can't breastfeed and tend to be less natural.

pixiedust1 · 10/04/2016 09:28

I thought both were at employers discretion?

I think shared parental leave is a good idea, I think we would probably take more time off as a couple but I would still stay off alone for the bulk of the time.

I don't know if we would ever use parental leave unless it was an emergency. We couldn't afford to take unpaid time off and neither of our employers would be too happy with us. It is good to know it is there for emergencies though!

sulalovesbing · 10/04/2016 09:31

I think that even though men want all the rights that women have when it comes to baby rearing (yet the same can't be said for women being equal in the workplace) the bottom line is that most men don't really want to be surrounded by poo nappies all day and would rather have the ability to escape every day. I knew the joint leave wouldn't be that popular but it's like the men cannot stand for women to have something just for them. Are they going to do the breast feeding? I thought not.

hippynappy · 10/04/2016 09:43

There was no such thing as parental leave when I had my kids so I don't see the point in it.

megletthesecond · 10/04/2016 09:53

I've heard of both and been taking parental leave for approx 5yrs now.

As a total LP I don't have anyone to share childcare with and the cost of summer holiday childcare is almost as much as a days pay so it's less hassle to earn less and mooch about at home. The dc's would prefer to be with me anyway.

My HR dept (medium size company) actually gave me the heads up about parental leave being extended to 18yrs so I can take roughly 3 weeks a year, plus 5 weeks leave and the odd day of holiday club and grandma and I can just about cover school hols for many years.

Nettie17 · 10/04/2016 09:53

I find men don't always want to take parental leave in case it spoils their job opportunities. There is still an assumption that the mother should take time off first.

maryandbuzz1 · 10/04/2016 09:59

It may be something that is allowed but when it comes down to it in my experience it can cause bad feeling and make things difficult at work.

prwilson · 10/04/2016 10:17

I think it gives couples more flexibility to do what suits them after the birth of a child.

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