Shared Parental Leave is the right for eligible parents to share the responsibility of childcare during the child's first year, using any untaken maternity or adoption leave.

Employees can share up to 50 weeks, in either one continuous block, or three separate blocks. Employees do not need to be employed by the same employer.

To qualify, an employee must be either:

• The child's mother or primary adopter
• The biological father or the child
• The mothers husband, partner, or civil partner
• The husband, partner, or civil partner of the primary adopter

Employees must have 26 weeks continuous service with the college at the end of the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth, or being notified of being matched with an adoptive child.

For shared parental leave to start, the mother or primary adopter must do one of the following:

• End their maternity of adoption leave by returning to work
• Give the college 'binding notice' of the date the will end their maternity or adoption leave
• End maternity or adoption pay or maternity allowance

If you are not the mother or primary adopter, you must ensure you provide the college with the following:

• Partners name
• Maternity / Adoption Leave start & end dates
• Total amount of Shared Parental Leave and Shared Parental pay available, and how much they and their partner intend to take
• Confirmation that you are sharing childcare responsibilities with their partner

You must also provide a signed declaration from the partner.