Shared parental leave: the results are in...

With the introduction of shared parental leave (SPL) around the corner on 5 April, we were interested to see how organisations believe this may affect their business and whether they felt ready for the changes.

The results are in and we summarise our findings below:

• Just 10% of employers fully understand what the introduction of SPL will mean
• 1 in 5 employers consider the concept of SPL is good for business
• 65% of employers believe that SPL will have little impact on their business
• 65% of employers are drafting or have implemented their SPL policies
• The majority of employers considered that their managers did not fully understand SPL

While it’s true that only 1 in 10 employers fully understood the practical implication of shared parental leave, there is evidence that they appreciate the importance of planning for the changes. Our research shows that employers are most concerned about how they will organise cover and the increased cost to the business.

With the changes to the law so close, it’s important that all businesses understand their responsibilities and the rights of their staff, and plan accordingly.