Shared Parental Leave Policy template
SPL entitlement, SPLIT days, curtailment of maternity/adoption leave and notice requirements.
- Children and Families Act 2014
- Shared Parental Leave Regulations 2014
What the policy covers
- 1. OVERVIEWShared Parental Leave (SPL) allows eligible parents to share up to 50 weeks of leave (and up to 37 weeks of Shared Parental Pay) between them in the first year following the birth
- 2. ELIGIBILITYBoth the mother/primary adopter and their partner must meet separate eligibility tests:
- 3. AMOUNT OF LEAVE AVAILABLEThe total SPL available is 52 weeks minus any maternity/adoption leave taken.
- 6. SHARED PARENTAL LEAVE IN TOUCH (SPLIT) DAYSEmployees may work up to 20 SPLIT days during SPL without bringing their leave to an end.
- 7. RETURN TO WORKEmployees returning from SPL of 26 weeks or less are entitled to return to the same job.
Who needs it
Any UK employer running rotas, leave and the day-to-day of employing people. These set out the rules once so nobody argues about them twice.
Questions people ask
Is a shared parental leave policy a legal requirement?
It rests on Children and Families Act 2014 and Shared Parental Leave Regulations 2014. Some policies must be written down once a business reaches a certain size or does certain work; others are simply how a tribunal, an inspector or a client's auditor expects to see that you have thought about it. A clear, dated, signed policy is the evidence either way. Guidance, not legal advice.
Can I change it to suit how we work?
Yes. Inside Work-Lynx it is a starting point: put your company name in, adjust the arrangements to what you actually do, set the review date and publish it. Staff read and acknowledge it on their phones, and you can see who has not.
Is it up to date?
Last reviewed April 2025. The pack is updated when the law moves, and every policy carries a review date so it does not quietly go stale.
How do I get it?
It is preloaded in Work-Lynx with the other 48 UK policies. Work-Lynx is £2.50 a month plus £1 per employee, 14 days free, no card, and what you see on the pricing page is the bill.
Who is it for?
Any UK employer running rotas, leave and the day-to-day of employing people. These set out the rules once so nobody argues about them twice.
All 49 UK policies, £2.50 a month
This policy and 48 others are already in Work-Lynx, alongside GPS clock-in, rotas, timesheets, leave and Employ AI for UK employment law. £2.50 base plus £1 per employee a month. 14 days free, no card, no sales call.
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