Parents of children born or adopted on or after 5 April now have a right to shared parental leave, in Englnad, Scotland and Wales..
Under the new regulations, parents who have met certain eligibility qualifications mainly relating to length of service, have a right to share up to 52 weeks leave – and up to 37 weeks shared parental pay, paid at the same rate as statutory maternity pay.
UNISON has welcomed the move and is encouraging branches to negotiate local agreements with employers on its implementation, particularly where current contractual maternity and paternity leave and pay is more than the statutory minimum.
Lambeth council in South London has already signed an agreement with the local UNISON branch and the union would like to see other employers follow suit.
If you are thinking of using the new right to shared parental leave, or negotiating a local agreement, check out the dedicated pages on the issue at the Get Help section of the UNISON website.
