To qualify for the University’s Contractual ShPP Scheme, the employee must:
- meet the qualifying conditions for statutory SPL
- provide their department with the correct notifications (see SPL notifications - birth or SPL notifications - adoption)
- have a current contract of employment with the University (that covers the full period of the intended leave), and
- have the intention to return to work for a minimum of three months following the end of SPL. If an employee is on a fixed-term contract, please refer to the 'Fixed-term contracts' section below.
In addition, it may be necessary for the employee to have at least 26 weeks' continuous service with the University, as an employee at the Qualifying week in line with the statutory scheme requirements, due to the way the scheme works. Please seek advice as early as possible if you do NOT have 26 weeks continuous service at the Qualifying week.
The above must be confirmed in writing by the employee. The 'SPL notifications' pro-forma on the right-hand side can be used for this purpose.
Any periods of maternity/adoption leave, pay or allowance must be curtailed early in order to be able to convert the remaining balance of that leave and pay into SPL and ShPP. The SPL and ShPP are reduced by the amount of maternity/adoption leave and pay the mother has taken.
For example, if the mother takes the initial 26 weeks as her maternity leave, the couple are then only entitled to 26 weeks of leave to share in total, with 13 of those weeks paid in statutory payments and 13 weeks taken as unpaid leave.
From 1 January 2020 the University’s eligibility criteria for its contractual, enhanced family leave schemes changed to remove length of service eligibility criteria. However, eligibility for the SPL and ShPP can require both parents to qualify for the statutory portion. This is a complex scheme and you are advised to seek advice from your local HR contact as early as possible if you wish to consider Shared Parental Leave and one or both parents do not qualify for Statutory Shared Parental Leave and Pay.