Government Report on Shared Parental Leave Reveals Low Take-up by Eligible Parents
The Department for Business & Trade (DBT) has published an evaluation report on the Shared Parental leave (SPL) scheme. Take-up rates remain very low, with only 1% of eligible mothers and 5% of eligible fathers or partners taking SPL.
What is SPL?
SPL is a type of family leave that enables eligible employees to take flexible leave during the first year of their child's life or the first year after adoption. Families who opt to take SPL can take up to 50 weeks of leave, of which up to 39 weeks can be paid at the weekly statutory rate (currently £172.48). Partners can take leave concurrently or consecutively depending on their preferences and subject to certain eligibility and notice criteria.
Factors in the Decision to Take SPL
The DFT report shows that SPL take-up varies by age, income, qualification level, and occupational status. Eligible employees who take up SPL and Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) are more likely to be older, white, highly qualified, work in large organisations, earn a higher income, and have progressive gender role attitudes.
Factors encouraging parents' decision to use SPL include support from partners, employers and a desire for flexible working. Conversely, financial pressure was cited as a principal reason for not making use of SPL. Some parents who did not take SPL also reported that this was because the SPL scheme is too complicated to manage. Whilst 85% of parents who took SPL said they were satisfied with their current working arrangements, 15% of fathers or partners who took SPL reported that it negatively affected their career progression.
Link to Flexible Working
The report suggests that employers whose staff take SPL are more likely to report use of flexible working and to offer and promote family-friendly policies more generally. The report provides a useful insight into how SPL is operating in practice and the practical difficulties in promoting take-up by employees.