Shared parental leave and pay

An employee taking shared parental leave (SPL) is entitled to split their leave into up to three separate blocks instead of taking it all in one go, even if they aren't sharing the leave with their partner.

If both parents are taking SPL then they can take their leave at the same time as each other or at different times.

The employee must give you at least eight weeks' notice before a block of leave begins.

You cannot turn down a request for a continuous block of leave if the employee is eligible and gives you the right notice.

Splitting blocks of SPL

If you agree, the employee can split a block of leave into shorter periods of at least a week. For example they could work every other week during a 12-week block, using a total of six weeks of their SPL. This is called discontinuous blocks of leave.

However, you do not have to agree to the employee breaking the block of leave into shorter periods.