Apply for shared parental leave (I am the partner of the mother/primary parent)
This guide is for employees who are partners of mothers/primary adopters. Shared parental leave allows parents to care for a new child in a more flexible way, by sharing up to 52 weeks of leave in blocks, for the first year after the child's birth/adoption.
Before you start
Assuming you meet the eligibility tests, you must give at least eight weeks' notice of your intention to take shared parental leave.
- 1. Read the Parental Leave and Pay policy. Book a consultation with the Employment Policy team
The policy contains the full details of entitlements and eligibility. You can also book a consultation with the Employment Policy team.
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Book a consultation
Leave must be taken during the 12 months following the birth or adoption of a child.
An employee can choose to end her maternity or adoption leave at any time after the required two-week period. She can then share the rest of the leave with her partner.
Parents can share a maximum of 50 weeks of leave.
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- 2. Work out what leave you want to request
Think about how you want to divide up the parental leave between you and your partner.
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Any period of maternity or adoption leave taken by the mother or primary adoptive parent will be taken away from the 50 weeks' shared parental leave entitlement. The remaining weeks can then be shared between the parents. The leave should be:
- for a minimum of one week
- in multiples of complete weeks
- one continuous period or up to three discontinuous periods.
- 3. Talk to your manager
We strongly encourage you to speak to your manager as soon as you can about your shared parental leave plans.
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Your manager will need as much notice as possible so they can arrange to cover your periods of leave.
- 4. Complete and submit the forms
There are two forms that need to be completed:
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- Entitlement and intention to take shared parental leave
- Period of leave notification
These should be passed to your manager who will complete their part(s), co-sign the forms and send them to HR.
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