Shared Parental Leave and Flexible Working

The right to request flexible working will be extended to parents of children under 18 from April 2011 and the Additional Paternity Leave (APL) Regulations will remain in force as an interim measure.

From April 2011, fathers will be able to take up to six month’s additional paternity leave in the second six months of their child’s life if the mother has returned to work. If the mother went back after 30 weeks then the father would be entitled to 16 weeks.  There is a guide to APL here.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg suggested that the reforms may go further.  The Government will be launching a consultation to look at various extensions to flexible working and shared parental leave.  These reforms are expected to be introduced in 2015.

The prospect of allowing parents to take ad hoc leave is seen as a threat to many employers, both in terms of the amount of time allowed and the disruption by numerous short periods of absence.  The costs and administrative burden are expected to be high despite assurances that “We need to make absolutely sure that the new system is sustainable and affordable”.