When shared parental leave was introduced in 2015, it was considered a hug success in combating archaic family norms that force the mother to stay at home with children. Despite being introduced almost three years ago, the percentage of parents taking shared parental leave is only at 2%, with half of the general public unaware the option exists.
According to the Department for Business, 285,000 couples are eligible every year for the leave, but don’t take it because of a lack of awareness, cultural barriers and potential financial penalties. However, Isabel Mohan thinks it's all down to the gender pay gap, find out why here.
Shared parental leave allows parents to share 50 weeks of leave, 37 of which are paid, either separately of together for up to six months. The current rate of pay is £140.98 per week, or 90% of your average earnings, whichever is lower.
There remains a lot of unnecessary stigma around the way parents take leave, whether it’s disbelief when fathers choose to take the time or a patronising encouragement when they do what we should really expect of any parent – to take time off to bond with their child. With mothers stigmatised for taking too much leave or not enough, it really seems like parents can’t win when it comes to taking time off work. Shared parental leave was supposed to reduce those stereotypes, and unburden one parent from taking the majority of child care.
Now, the government has promised to spend £1.5m to publicise the option, starting a campaign called ‘share the joy’ which will advertise online and on billboards. Business minister, Andrew Griffiths, said the policy means fathers don’t have to miss ‘their baby's first step, word or giggle’.
It comes during a push toward flexible working from employees and businessesalike, Griffiths continued:
‘Employers can reap the benefits too. We know that flexibility in work is proven to create happier, more loyal and more productive workforces,’
However, the real heart of the problem tends to be financial. More than a third of fathers said they wouldn’t use the scheme because they couldn’t afford to, according to Working Families chief executive Sarah Jackson. In response to this, Jackson is calling for employers to go beyond the minimum pay for SPL if they can afford to. She said:
‘If the Government is serious about equality at work and tackling the gender pay gap, it should consider also introducing a properly paid, standalone period of extended paternity leave for fathers.’
The scheme will be formally evaluated later this year, with hopes the publicity will raise awareness and reduce cultural barriers that prevent men from taking time off out of fear they’ll be seen as less committed.
Who is eligible for shared parental leave?
You must share responsibility for the child with either your husband, wife, civil partner or joint adopter, the child’s other parent of your partner if they live with you and the child. One of you must be eligible for maternity pay or leave, adoption pay or leave, of Maternity Allowance.
The further requirements include being employed continuously by the same employer for at least 26 weeks by the end of the 15th week before the due date (or by the date you’re matched with your adopted child). You must stay with the same employer while you take the leave.
During the 66 weeks before the baby’s due, or the week you’re matched with your adopted child, your partner must also have been working for at least 26 weeks (although not in a row) and have earned at least £390 in total in 13 of the 66 weeks (these still do not need to be in a row so you can add up the highest paying weeks).
All of these apply whether you’re an employee, worker of self-employed and your partner doesn’t have to be working at the date of birth or when you started the leave or Statutory Shared Parental Pay. You can find out more about it here.
Check out Blake Lively's maternity style...
Blake Lively Maternity Style grazia
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Red carpet fashion is Blake's strong suite, and this black and white dress by Carolina Herrera (complete with floral detailing and semi-sheer skirt) doesn't disappoint (June 2016)
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For 'The Shallows' after-party, Black chose an asymmetric look from David Koma's most recent collection, layering a cold-shoulder black body under a skirt with cut-out detail (June 2016)
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Another sartorial triumph for Blake, who stuck close to her winning maternity style formula of a form-fitting midi dress in a bold block colour (June 2016)
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For her red carpet 'princess' moment, Blake chose pale blue Louis Vuitton - and looked like she'd stepped straight out of a fairytale (May 2016)
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Denim jacket + embellished ball gown = surprisingly cool. Blake went full Noughties when promoting 'The Shallows' in New York, layering a Madewell jacket over a Jenny Packham dress (June 2016)
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Cinderella who? Blake chose another fairytale gown for the Cannes screening of The BFG, this time by Atelier Versace (May 2015)
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The pale peach shade of this heavily embellished Elie Saab gown compliments Blake's skin tone perfectly (June 2016)
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Teaming a grey hoodie with a feathered mini-dress and towering Louboutins is certainly unchartered style territory - a move worthy of Gossip Girl's Serena? (June 2016)
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Promoting her new film 'The Shallows' on 'The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,' Blake channelled this season's off-the-shoulder trend in a royal blue midi style from Cushnie Et Ochs, complete with crossover neckline and cut-out detailling (June 2016)
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Promoting 'The Shallows' at the Cannes Film Festival, Blake appeared to take inspiration from her role in the surfer horror flick, choosing a cut-out midi dress fashioned from scuba material (May 2016)
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Could anyone apart from Blake pull off this sequinned coat (heavily embellished with flowers, natch) and this striped red minidress (both by Chanel)? Probably not (May 2016)
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Can anyone else pull off tricky shades of yellow with as much panache as Ms. Lively? We don't think so. Golden girl Blake chose velvet Valentino for the Café Society luncheon in Cannes (May 2016)
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Sheer panels? Check. Skin tight? Check. Sparkle? Check. Blake's fashion formula certainly isn't for the faint-hearted, but the actress certainly looked the part at the opening gala for her film, Café Society (May 2015)
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Coat dresses aren't usually part of Blake's sartorial vocabulary, but she pulls off this chic feathered number by Salvatore Ferragamo with aplomb (May 2016)
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For the Café Society photocall in Cannes, Blake channelled the dancing lady emoji (you know the one) in this scarlet jumpsuit by Juan Carlos Obando (May 2016)
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So Blake's pale pink Burberry gown for this year's Met Gala didn't exactly tie in to the event's 'Manus x Machina' theme, but when she looks as great as this, we aren't exactly complaining... (May 2016)
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Lemon yellow isn’t the easiest shade to pull off, but Blake made light work of it in this V-neck Gucci style at the Angel Ball in New York, while pregnant with her first child (October 2014)
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The 2014 Golden Hearts Awards called for another pitch-perfect evening look from Blake – this time, a delicately embellished pale pink dress in a simple, A-line style from Michael Kors Resort. Straight out of Serena van der Woodsen’s wardrobe, don’t you think? (October 2014)
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Proving she can pull off ‘bronde’ just as well as her trademark California blonde, Blake looked effortlessly stylish in a form-fitting, one shouldered black gown by Kaufmanfranco at L’Oreal’s Women of Worth dinner in New York (December 2014)
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Wave print Versace? So appropriate for another The Shallows promo appearance - complete with gloriously corkscrew curls (June 2016)
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For the press conference for her latest film 'Café Society,' Blake chose a patterned pink dress by Jonathan Simkhai, teamed with heels by Brit designer Sophia Webster (July 2016)
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For a night out with friends in New York, Blake wore a blue wrap dress with graphic stripes by Diane von Furstenberg (July 2016)
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For her appearance on the Tonight Show to promote new film 'Café Society,' Blake wore a dramatic cut out style with floral embellishment by Emanuel Ungaro. Who said maternity style had to play it safe? (July 2016)
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Summer in the city calls for a fashion-forward take on the bohemian trend. Blake's patterned midi dress with mesh panels is giving us serious Serena van der Woodsen vibes, too (July 2016)
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Continuing her spot-on maternity style spree for the 'Café Society' promo trail, the actress opted for pale grey Carolina Herrera - complete with white pom-pom detailing (July 2016)