A year on from the introduction of Shared Parental Leave (SPL), some figures suggest that few families have chosen to divide up time taken off work.
A year on from the introduction of Shared Parental Leave (SPL), some figures suggest that few families have chosen to divide up time taken off work.
Fifty weeks’ leave can be shared, enabling women to return to work earlier than they might otherwise, and their partners to spend more time with their children in the early years. But according to research by My Family Care and the Women’s Business Council, just 1% of men (note men, not eligible men) who were the subject of the survey shared leave with their partners. Financial affordability, lack of awareness, and the unwillingness of women to share their maternity leave, were found to be the main reasons. But the indications are that many more (63%) men would be likely to choose to take SPL in respect of their future children.
It’s still early days for SPL. Perhaps by this time next year, there’ll be more appetite among families to reconfigure the work/home arrangements.
