SCHEDULE 19 - SHARED PARENTAL LEAVE (BIRTH) POLICY
1.
ABOUT THIS POLICY
1.1
This policy outlines the arrangements for shared parental leave and pay in relation to the birth of a child. If you are adopting a child please see the Shared Parental Leave (Adoption) Policy instead.
1.2
This policy applies to employees. It does not apply to agency workers or self- employed contractors.
1.3
This policy does not form part of any employee's contract of employment and we may amend it at any time.
2.
FREQUENTLY USED TERMS
2.1
The definitions in this paragraph apply in this policy.
Expected week of childbirth (EWC) : the week, beginning on a Sunday, in which the doctor or midwife expects your child to be born.
Parent : One of two people who will share the main responsibility for the child's upbringing (and who may be either the mother, the father, or the mother's partner if not the father). Partner : your spouse, civil partner or someone living with you in an enduring family relationship, but not your sibling, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew.
Qualifying Week : the fifteenth week before the EWC.
3.
WHAT IS SHARED PARENTAL LEAVE?
3.1
Shared parental leave ( SPL ) is a form of leave that may be available if your child is expected to be born on or after 5 April 2015.
3.2
It gives you and your partner more flexibility in how to share the care of your child in the first year after birth than simply taking maternity and paternity leave. Assuming you are both eligible, you will be able to choose how to split the available leave between you, and can decide to be off work at the same time or at different times. You may be able to take leave in more than one block.
4.
ENTITLEMENT TO SPL
4.1
You are entitled to SPL in relation to the birth of a child if:
(a) you are the child's mother, and share the main responsibility for the care of the child with the child's father or with your partner;
(b) you are the child's father and share the main responsibility for the care of the child with the child's mother; or
(c) you are the mother's partner and share the main responsibility for the care of the child with the mother (where the child's father does not share the main responsibility with the mother).
4.2
The following conditions must also be fulfilled:
(a) you must have at least 26 weeks continuous employment with us by the end of the Qualifying Week, and still be employed by us in the week before the leave is to be taken;
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