One of the benefit’s we have found in returning to the office is the discussions on hot topics of the day. As RBHR goes from strength to strength we have a new HR Consultant join the family (keep a look out for more on him) and we were talking over a client question on Shared Parental Leave (SPL) and Shared Parental Pay (ShPP)
SPL allows couples to choose how to share up to 50 weeks’ leave and up to 37 weeks’ pay between them in the first year after the birth of their child. Leave can be taken in weekly blocks or in one go, at the same time or separately – whatever suits individual circumstances.
According to a YouGov Poll finding, in the 5 years since its introduction less than 10% of those eligible actually use SPL.
Financial challenges are the top reason given by parents for not taking SPL. Others reported fears of being overlooked for promotion and the general complexity of the process with strict eligibility and notification requirements.
Despite the possible benefits, businesses report finding SPL bureaucratic and complex to manage, with the guidance on processing payments and tracking compliance ambiguous. From a business perspective,
CIPD research finds that flexible SPL policies result in greater employee loyalty, boosts reputational standing and can improve gender equality. As a result, many organisations are now going far above the minimum requirements to embrace an equalising Maternity and Paternity pay approach.
With all the potential benefits being left unrealised, a group of organisations, including campaigners, trade unions and economists, are calling on the Government to scrap SPL and replace it with a "Use it or Lose it" period of non-transferrable paid leave for both parents.
If SPL or ShPP is something your company is finding challenging, call us on 01935 411 191 or email enquiries@rbhr.co.uk to speak to one of our Consultants or through the button below. A member of our consultancy team will be available to help you with any HR, recruitment or training queries which you may have.