Shared Parental Leave Policy

This document can be used by an employer to create a Shared Parental Leave Policy. A Shared Parental Leave Policy outlines the approach an employer shall take to allowing, managing and facilitating employees to share leave with their partners where they are expecting the birth of or adopting a child.

This document shall provide:

• a statement on the general purpose of the policy;
• the scope of the policy;
• the eligibility requirements for employees to take shared parental leave;
• the notification and booking process employees should follow to take shared parental leave;
• the requirements to gain entitlement to Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) or any other level of pay employees will be granted during a period of leave; and
• if the policy will form a part of employees' contract of employment with the employer.

Please note that it is not a legal requirement for employers to have a Shared Parental Leave Policy but it is good business practice.

How to use this document

This document should be made easily available to and communicated with any employees. It is common to display work place policies in an easily accessible public area so that any persons who may be connected with the employer's activities in any way can easily see the commitment they have made to facilitating employees to take shared parental leave. This document may be issued to employees in conjunction with other workplace policies such as: Health and Safety policy, Equal Opportunities policy, Working from Home policy, Employee Privacy policy or a disciplinary procedure.

This policy should be signed and dated by a senior member of management who is authorised to do so. This may be the employer himself or the most senior person acting on behalf of the company, e.g. Managing Director. It is the duty of the employer or the most senior person in the company to ensure that the aims, responsibilities and arrangements contained within this document are carried out.

Please note that should this policy be revised or altered at any time, these revisions and alterations must be communicated effectively to employees at the earliest opportunity.

Applicable Law

The Shared Parental Leave Regulations 2014

The Shared Parental Pay (General) Regulations 2014

The Maternity and Adoption Leave (Curtailment of Statutory Rights to Leave) Regulations 2014

Employment Rights Act 1996

Equality Act 2010

ACAS guidance on Shared Parental Leave

UK Government guidance on Shared Parental Leave and Pay

Help from a lawyer

You can choose to consult a lawyer if you need help.

The lawyer can answer your questions or help you through the process. You will be offered this option when you complete the document.

How to modify the template

You fill out a form. The document is created before your eyes as you respond to the questions.

At the end, you receive it in Word and PDF formats. You can modify it and reuse it.