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ARTICLE · 09 APRIL 2015

Shared Parental Leave – Changes Employers Should Be Aware Of

MacRoberts
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Significant changes in relation to the way that employees take leave following the birth of their child will be effective for babies expected or placed for adoption on or after 5 April 2015.

United KingdomEmployment and HR
Katy Wedderburn
Katy Wedderburn
Karen McGill
Karen McGill
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Significant changes in relation to the way that employees take leave following the birth of their child will be effective for babies expected or placed for adoption on or after 5 April 2015.

Employees who are eligible for maternity leave can still take 52 weeks' of maternity leave.  That system will remain in place and some may decide to take maternity leave.  However in other cases, eligible parents may decide to utilise the flexibility to take shared parental leave.

Shared Parental Leave will allow eligible parents to share up to 50 weeks' of leave and 37 weeks of pay within the first year of their child's life or within the first year after a child is placed for adoption.  The first two weeks of leave after the birth of the child must be taken by the mother alone, thereafter leave can be shared in a very flexible way. 

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