R T EQUALITIES Shared leave option THE RULES ON PARENTAL LEAVE ARE CHANGING A new way for parents to share leave in the first year after their baby’s birth is on the way, writes equalities officer Jo Bird. Eligible parents whose baby is due on or after the 5 April will be able to opt in to a new scheme called ‘Shared Parental Leave’. It allows a new mother to give notice to end her maternity leave and pay period any time after the first two weeks of her baby’s birth and share the remainder of her leave and pay (up to a maximum of 50 weeks’ leave and 37 weeks’ pay) with her partner. The new scheme does not replace maternity leave and pay or ordinary paternity leave and pay currently available to new parents. Maternity and paternity pay and leave will continue to run alongside the new scheme. The introduction of Shared Parental Leave is an alternative option and gives parents the opportunity to use the leave available to them in their baby’s first year more flexibly. For example, under existing arrangements a woman must end her maternity leave and return to work before her partner can take up any remaining leave as additional paternity leave. Under the new scheme there is scope for parents (who qualify) to take shared parental leave at the same time so that they can both be at home with their new baby. Not all parents will qualify for Shared Parental Leave or pay as each parent has to meet length of service conditions as well as an employment and earnings test. The rules for qualifying are similar to the existing rules for establishing entitlement to statutory maternity and paternity pay. Similarly not all parents will want to opt in to the new scheme as shared parental pay mirrors the relatively low levels of statutory maternity and paternity pay. From April 2015 Shared Parental Pay is £139.58 a week. The mother can only share her leave with one other person and that person has to share the main responsibility for caring for her child and be either the child’s father or the mother’s partner. A partner is a spouse, civil partner or someone you are in a relationship with and live with at the time of the child’s birth. Unfortunately this means that a single parent, who does not share responsibility for bringing up her baby with the other parent cannot share her leave with anyone else. Shared Parental Leave is also available to adoptive parents who have a child placed with them for adoption on or after the 5 April and to parents in same sex relationships who meet the eligibility criteria. In some circumstances parents who have a child via surrogacy arrangements may also be entitled to Shared Parental Leave and Pay. The union is keen to ensure that reps and members know about and understand the new scheme. Usdaw’s maternity and parental rights guide will be updated and re-issued in April 2015 to reflect the changes. In the meantime if you have any questions contact the equalities section or your area organiser. Watch John Hannett on the LGBT get-together equalities @usdaw.org.uk Network March/April 2015 13