The early period of parental leave is also crucial for mum to recover from giving birth. Working Families is the UK’s leading work-life balance organisation. However, it will no doubt come as a blow to those campaigning for greater uptake of shared parental leave. United Kingdom, Main Switchboard: Andy took 8 weeks shared parental leave combined with 2 weeks paternity leave and 2 weeks annual leave – 12 weeks off in total. The figures for the total number of claimants of ShPP does not reflect all those using Shared Parental Leave as it does not include those parents that only used unpaid Shared Parental Leave towards the end of the first year, therefore the figures likely considerably underestimate the actual usage of all SPL. Sarah’s research focuses on encouraging voluntary behavioural change and survey measurement. Shared Parental Leave (SPL) gives more choice in how 2 parents can care for their child. Tel: +44 (0)121 414 3344, University of Birmingham research shows take up of Shared Parental Leave is increasing, Language, Cultures, Art History and Music, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, See all schools, departments, research and professional services. In the UK shared parental leave, or SPL, was introduced in 2015. The protest was organised to enable the students to show their anger and disappointment to the University of Edinburgh, after the students felt they were misled after they returned to find the vast majority of their lectures and contacts were all online, The sun rises over the Severn crossing as traffic crosses from England into Wales, where a countrywide firebrake lockdown will begin from 6pm today until 12.01am on 9 November, Ony 1 per cent of new parents used shared, Just 9,200 new parents took up shared leave in 2018 out of more than 900,000 who were eligible, the study found. Don’t believe the statistics, shared parental leave is working The change enables eligible men to share up to 52 weeks of parental leave with their partner and has been held up as one of the key contributions of the Lib Dems to the coalition government. For information on the basics of shared parental leave (SPL), including who is entitled, how much leave you can take, and how the system works, see Shared Parental Leave: Nuts and Bolts and Top Tips. Across the UK people fell silent in remembrance of the nation's war dead, as the coronavirus pandemic limits public commemorations, Number 10 special advisor Dominic Cummings waits to be admitted to 10 Downing Street in London, A mural of the president of the United States, Donald Trump which has been painted on the side of Islington Mill arts hub in Salford, Manchester, Chelsea pensioners watch a Remembrance Sunday service from their windows at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, D-Day veteran Jim Healy, 95, from Manchester who is taking part in the Royal British Legion's doorstep silence for Remembrance. “Dads need leave they can take in their own right. Dr Sarah Forbes is a lecturer at Birmingham Business School. Increased uptake of SPL and involvement of fathers in caring in the first year can also have significant positive impacts on child development, child/father bonding, paternal welfare and parental mental health. No data is available to show the usage of unpaid Shared Parental Leave, which can be up to 13 weeks. Are you sure you want to mark this comment as inappropriate? Read our full mailing list consent terms here. It shouldn’t rely on mums giving up some of their maternity leave.”. Eligible parents who are sharing responsibility for a child can get SPL in the first year after: the birth of their child; adopting a child; getting a parental order if they had the child through surrogacy; How much Shared Parental Leave a parent can get 2.—(1) The provisions relating to shared parental leave in Part 2 have effect only in relation to children whose expected week of birth begins on or after 5th April 2015. The union organisation is calling for paternity leave pay to be increased to at least minimum wage levels, a move it said could help half a million dads spend more time with their new babies. Please continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates. Aviva says there has … The data demonstrates that the take up of ShPP has increased to 10,700 in the financial year 2018/19. Email address. The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions. It is one year since the launch of Shared Parental Leave (SPL), a Government policy that allows both mothers and fathers to share parental leave.To understand the impact of this policy My Family Care (a business that works with employers to support working parents) and the Women’s Business Council carried out a survey of over 1,000 parents and 200 businesses. For more information or interviews, please contact: Hasan Salim Patel, Communications Manager (Arts, Law and Social Sciences) on +44 (0) 121 415 8134 or contact the press office out of hours on +44 (0) 7789 921 165. (2) The provisions relating to shared parental leave in Part 3 have effect only in relation to children placed for adoption on or after 5th April 2… Mairéad Nayager, chief HR officer at Diageo, said: “True gender equality in the working world requires fundamental changes to a broad range of working practices, including a shake-up of the policies and cultural norms around parental leave.”. Shared parental leave can be taken in blocks separated by periods of work, or all in one go. What’s in it for me; Top tips for mothers This is a guest article by YESS law with help from Working Families and Maternity Action.. The minimal take-up of shared parental leave in the UK, estimated, in the absence of reliable statistics, at about 2% of 285,000 eligible couples annually, has Many parents in the United Kingdom are eligible to take SPL, but most still do not take it due to a lack of awareness of the numerous benefits for their family and their child. Want an ad-free experience?Subscribe to Independent Premium. You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies to your comment. The Shocking Shared Parental Leave Statistics One Year On 5th April 2016 by Al Ferguson Today marks the anniversary of the Governments latest legislation on paternity leave, called shared parental leave … It is important that parents have a conversation about caring and SPL. HMRC revealed that less than 1% of those eligible had made use of it in 2016. This research follows on from the research conducted by Dr Holly Birkett and Dr Sarah Forbes (Co-Directors of the Equal Parenting Project) at the University of Birmingham in May 2019 which looked to understand how to increase the usage of SPL in the first year after the birth or adoption of their child. However, the government had earlier predicted a 2% take up of shared parental leave irrespective of the fact that 285,000 parents were flagged up as eligible for shared parental leave. A strengthened tiered system of restrictions has been introduced, Artic Fox, Flo, investigates a stocking of treats in her enclosure as part of a Christmas enrichment programme at the wildlife conservation charity Wildwood Trust in Herne Bay, Kent, A man carrying a Christmas tree walks past a mural depicting a Saltire design in Leith, Edinburgh on St Andrew's Day, Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Leander Dendoncker warms up before the Premier League match against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, London, Police officers wearing a protective face coverings speak with a protester during an anti-lockdown protest against government restrictions designed to control or mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus, on Regents Street in London, Protesters from Peta animal rights group demonstrates against fox hunting in Westminster, A billboard displays a Manchester City Council message about the city's Covid alert level, Chancellor Rishi Sunak visits the Imperial Clinic Research Facility at Hammersmith Hospital in London, Freight lorries queueing along the M20 in Kent waiting to access the Eurotunnel terminal in Folkestone, A palette of changing colours as the sky lights up before sunrise at St Mary's Lighthouse in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear on the North East coast, Daniil Medvedev poses with trophy after winning the singles final during day eight of the ATP Finals at The O2 Arena, London, Members of the public walk through the city centre on the first day of tier four coronavirus restrictions in Stirling, Scotland. Pay and leave must be shared in the first year after the child is born or placed with the family. Researchers at the University of Birmingham have found out individuals claimants for Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) the statutory paid part of Shared Parental Leave (SPL) has increased by 73% between 2015/16 and 2018/2019. Birmingham B15 2TT 2,138 adults from across the UK were surveyed between 04and 11 December 2014 to examine attitudes towards Shared Parenting and assess potential uptake of Shared Parental Leave entitlement. We help working parents and carers and their employers find a better balance between responsibilities at home and work. Over two million people in the West of Scotland are now living under the country's toughest level of coronavirus restrictions, following the rules coming into place at 18:00 yesterday seeing the closure of non-essential shops must close, as well as pubs, restaurants, hairdressers, gyms and visitor attractions, The bronze statues of John and Cecil Moores, founders of the Littlewoods company, in Liverpool, with face masks on them as England continues a four week national lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus, James Stunt arrives at Southwark Crown Court in London to give evidence in the trial of Justinas Ivaskevicius, 34, who is accused of stealing a 16.18-carat fancy yellow diamond from 38-year-old Stunt's substantial Belgravia mews, People gather on the the Comedy Carpet in front of the Blackpool Tower waiting for the funeral cortege of entertainer Bobby Ball to pass on its way to Carleton Crematorium in Blackpool, Shipping companies and retailers have complained of delays in unloading arriving freight, with one ship told it could wait up to 10 days for a berthing slot, Rainbow over Gwrych Castle in Abergele, North Wales, where the new series of I’m A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! Research looking at public attitudes about taking shared parental leave, to understand the issues affecting people taking it. Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium. The amount available will depend on how much the mother/primary adopter reduces their maternity/adoption pay period or maternity allowance period. Around 285,000 couples are eligible every year for shared parental leave, but take-up "could be as low as 2%", the Department for Business said. Important information when interpreting the data. This means that if a man takes leave in the early stages he is likely to be providing support to the mother, which is a great, but he is unlikely to be gaining experience as the sole and primary caregiver. The aim of SPLASH is to provide employees and employers with access to clear information about Shared Parental Leave and Pay. The main factors cited for lack of take-up are finances and worries over fathers' careers. Jim was a Corporal in the Royal Marines and was coxswain of a landing craft assault on June 6, 1944 and will observe the Two Minutes Silence on Sunday by standing on his doorstep, The sunrises over woodland in Ashford, Kent, Two men walk over a nearly deserted Westminster Bridge, in foggy conditions, at the start of a four week national lockdown for England, Laura Martindale, manager of The Rocket public house in Whiston, pours away spoilt beer that has gone off after the pub was placed into tier three and now faces a four week lockdown ahead of a national lockdown for England, An oast house surrounded by autumn colours in the morning sunshine near Hawkhurst in Kent, Large waves crash over the harbour wall in Newhaven, East Sussex, during strong winds, Shoppers queue outside Ikea in Batley, West Yorkshire, after Boris Johnson announced a new national lockdown will come into force in England next week, Boris Johnson announces new restrictions in No 10, The hallway of the Halloween house of Conor Pilkington (centre), 23, from Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, who has gone all out this year with his Halloween display. Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? Take up is likely to continue to go up as new parents increasingly know someone that has taken the policy and organisations and families become more aware of the benefits of fathers taking SPL in relation to child development, family bonding and Gender Pay Gap reporting”. Many parents are not eligible to take SPL, for example, the self-employed. According to statistics from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), published in February 2018, around 285,000 couples every year qualify for shared parental leave, but take-up could be as low as 2%.. This information is based on the birth of a child but it also applies to couples who are adopting a […] Parents receive £145.18 a week or 90 per cent of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. These figure excludes companies who did not claim the statutory ShPP back from government. Maternity and parental rights include maternity, paternity, shared parental, adoption leave and pay, and unpaid paternity leave. Ony 1 per cent of new parents used shared parental leave last year, according to research, prompting calls for an overhaul of the system. The website includes: A detailed summary of shared parental leave and pay; Short factsheets on different aspects of leave and pay, eg ‘what’s in it for mothers’, ‘what’s it for dads and partners’, ‘what’s in it for employers’ Just 5% of new fathers and 8% of new mothers have opted to take shared parental leave since it was introduced in April 2015, according to the CIPD. The TUC wants fathers to have their own paternity leave, which would be available to fathers from the first day in a job, including those on zero-hour contracts and in self-employed roles. For as up to date statistics as possible: How many parents went on maternity or paternity leave in the UK & Ireland? The event was held to raise money for the Age UK charity and involved participants from an open water swimming club, The sun sets behind the Palace of Westminster, the home of the Houses of Parliament in central London, The finishing touches are put to a 40ft Christmas Tree at Somerset House in London, A swimmer takes to the water at Serpentine Swimming Club after the second national lockdown ends in England. This research is part of a larger study currently being undertaken as part of the Equal Parenting Project at the Birmingham Business School. These Regulations introduce a new entitlement for employees who are mothers, fathers, adopters, or prospective adopters, or the partners of mothers or adopters, or prospective adopters, to take shared parental leave in the first year of their child’s life or in the first year after the child’s placement for adoption. Drinks-maker Diageo announced this week its 4,500 UK staff would be entitled to 52 weeks of parental leave with the first 26 weeks fully paid. Just 9,200 new parents took up shared leave in 2018 out of more than 900,000 who were eligible, Wollaton Hall in Nottingham which has been transformed into an enchanted light experience to create Christmas at Wollaton Hall, a unique, socially distanced festive outdoor light installation, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson adjusts his face mask as he meets European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels, Margaret Keenan, 90, is applauded by staff as she returns to her ward after becoming the first person to receive the Pfizer-BioNtech Covid-19 vaccine at University Hospital in Coventry, Amanda McGurk (left) and Cara McCann outside Belfast City Hall after becoming the first couple in Belfast to convert their civil partnership into a marriage. The scheme offers equal parental leave to male and female employees – up to one year in the UK, including six months at full pay. Why take Shared Parental Leave? Employees retain all of their benefits and bonuses regardless of gender, sexual orientation or whether they become parents biologically, via surrogacy or adoption. From today same-sex couples across Northern Ireland are able to marry through the official conversion of existing civil partnerships following a change in the law, Shoppers on Oxford Street in London on the first weekend following the end of the second national lockdown in England, Swimmers wearing fancy dress take to the water for a charity ‘fancy dress chilly dip’ swim in the sea at Leasowe Bay, northwest England. Together or to stagger the leave and pay section, under my profile Comments... Be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium section, under my profile balance responsibilities. 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