Since 2015, shared parental leave (SPL) has been an option for working couples, allowing eligible employees to share and organise family leave in a way which works best for their personal circumstances. Despite this, take-up has been very low, in fact in 2018, only 9,200 new parents took shared parental leave, just one per cent of those who were eligible to do so, below the government estimate of two to eight per cent take-up. So why is nobody taking up shared parental leave?
It is likely due to poor awareness of it and the personal circumstances of the modern workforce. SPL rules are specific in regards to eligibility, notice requirements and patterns of leave that can be taken, meaning they can be viewed as difficult and disruptive to businesses. Organisations may struggle to fully understand the obligations upon them, preferring employees to use the more familiar options of maternity and paternity leave. This can ultimately lead to a negative culture surrounding the use of SPL in general and deter employees from considering it.
Employees may also not choose to take SPL due to their personal circumstances. For example, research conducted by Totaljobs outlines that 85 per cent of employees could not afford to take advantage of SPL, likely because working mothers are generally paid less than their male partners. In addition to this, nearly half of the participants explained that their partners did not want to take the leave, with 58 per cent confirming that the mother preferred taking the role of the main carer in their family situation. The time spent away from work can also deter some employees due to concerns over how it will affect their career prospects going forward.
Employers should remember that employees have a legal right not to be discriminated against on the basis of maternity or paternity leave and should be fully made aware of the rights and entitlements available to them. Working women taking prolonged career breaks to facilitate child care can lead to them missing out on key opportunities for career progression and increase a company’s gender pay gap. SPL provides the option for them to take less time away from work, encouraging higher employee retention rates, increased engagement and an improved reputation within their industry. In the modern workplace, it is becoming increasingly apparent that employees are looking for roles with increased flexibility and strong family friendly policies. By actively encouraging take up of shared parental leave, companies can attract skilled individuals to their workforce that may otherwise have not shown interest.
In order to counteract any confusion surrounding SPL, organisations should take positive steps to introduce a workplace policy which outlines the rules on taking the leave, eligibility and how to provide notice. This will help employees and managers understand the leave better, encouraging take up and the correct handling of requests. Additionally, requests should also be handled proactively and positively; a discussion can be held with the employee about the request and how they will be supported during their leave.
Kate Palmer is HR Advice and Consultancy Director at global employment law consultancy, Peninsula.
Kate joined in 2009 from a worldwide facility services company where she was Senior HR Manager. Her exploits included providing HR & employment law support to over 30 UK hospitals and dealing with high profile NHS union cases—expertise she now brings to Peninsula clients.
Today, Kate is involved in all aspects of HR and employment law advice.
