Shared Parental Leave (SPL) offers parents the flexibility to balance their careers while sharing the responsibilities of raising a child.

However, uptake remains staggeringly low, with only 1% of eligible mothers and 5% of eligible fathers and partners taking advantage of the policy. A recent government report highlights that while over seven in ten employers are aware of SPL, many are not actively promoting it to their employees. The issue seems twofold: many parents are unaware it’s an option because it’s not being offered up by their companies, and for others, it simply doesn’t work financially. Without greater awareness and support, SPL will continue to be looked over, despite its potential to provide much-needed flexibility for working parents.

1. Hi Emma, why did you choose to take Shared Parental Leave, and how did you and your partner decide to split the time?

Hello! Firstly, thanks for giving me the platform to speak about SPL - I’m really passionate about getting the word out there as it seems many parents-to-be haven't been fully informed about the options available to them (and let’s face it - they’ve got a lot to be thinking about!). SPL allows mothers to share a portion of maternity leave and pay with their partners to care for children from birth until their first birthday.

A big part of our decision to take SPL was the fact that when I was pregnant in 2021 I was only entitled to statutory maternity pay as a Director of my own limited company where I worked as a Marketing Consultant. The reality of this was that I would be looking at a significant salary drop to around £600 per month. My partner, Tom works for Sussex Police and they had recently changed their shared parental leave policy to mirror the enhanced maternity leave - allowing employees to take up to 6 consecutive months leave on statutory allowance topped up to full pay. The challenge was that we ideally wanted me to take the first 6 months off and Tom the following 3 months, but to get the enhanced statutory pay for Tom he would have to take the leave straight after the birth of our daughter. 

After much deliberation and tapping on the calculator, we decided that it would be better for the bonding process (and my mental health) for Tom to take 3.5 months off when she was born, go back to work and then take off months 6-9 on the standard statutory allowance and I would go back to work full time. Tom being off in the first 3.5 months meant I didn’t receive any government financial support over that period but I was able to work a few hours flexibly when he was with our baby.

2. What was your experience like navigating the SPL process with your employer? Were there any challenges or surprises?

The challenge I had was that my accountant had no idea about the SPL policy and I had to spend a lot of time working it all out! Speaking to friends and colleagues this seems to be a widespread problem across companies, HR departments and company owners who don’t understand the parameters of the scheme and therefore are not confident to promote it to their staff. Tom was the first person in his department to take SPL.

3. How did taking SPL impact your career progression or day-to-day work?

SPL allowed me to continue working flexibly throughout the first year of my daughter’s birth. I appreciate this isn’t for every mother, but for me it allowed me the opportunity to use my brain (as much as the sleep deprivation allowed!) and have some time where I could be ‘Emma’ and not a new mum. It was important to me to keep this side of myself alive and it also helped me keep clients which I would have probably had to let go of had I taken a full 9 months or year off.

4. What adjustments did you have to make as a family while both of you shared childcare responsibilities?

The biggest adjustment (aside from having a new screamy human in the house) was financial. Because of the limitations of Tom’s enhanced SPL it forced us to split it in a way that wasn’t actually the best way for us - it would have been amazing for him to be able to take that 6 months of enhanced SPL in non-consecutive chunks instead of straight from birth. 

However, we found that first 6 months very difficult with the lack of sleep and the adjustment so having him there every day for almost four months was incredible.

5. Did SPL meet your expectations in terms of bonding with your child and managing family life?

SPL allowed us to bond equally with our daughter through the first 4 months of her being born. Tom was just as capable of soothing her and following her routine as I was - giving him confidence and me a break! I can see challenges for mothers who choose to exclusively breastfeed, but I found breastfeeding very challenging for multiple reasons so when we switched to the bottle the feeding could be done by either one of us. 

Tom found being off work for extended periods of time challenging and missed out on training courses but made the most of his KIT days to keep up as much as possible.

6. What was the biggest challenge you faced during your SPL, and how did you overcome it?

The biggest challenge for us was deciding how to split the SPL. As I mentioned above, it was a dance between the most financially beneficial way (Tom being off on enhanced SPL for the first 6 months), but that would have meant I would have had to work much more when I physically and mentally needed to adapt to becoming a mother.

If statutory pay was higher - it is currently £184.03 per week (less than minimum wage) - with the first 6 weeks being 90% of an employee's average weekly earnings or companies offered a better package, this would improve the scheme.

It also needs to be explained clearly to any person joining a company so they are aware of how SPL works and how to access it.

7. In what ways do you think SPL supports a more inclusive work environment?

SPL allows mothers to return to the workplace and fathers to become more involved with their children at a younger age. So in that sense it is opening the door to a more inclusive work environment. However, as always there is so much more to be done. Better paid (and longer) paternity leave would be a great start.

8. What advice would you give to parents considering taking Shared Parental Leave?

My advice would be to think about how you envision the first year of your child's life to be. Although there are plenty of unknowns and curveballs with a newborn, you should be able to choose how you wish to split the childcare and time with your baby. I wholeheartedly recommend enabling your partner to have the chance to bond and become confident with your baby in the early months so you can equally share the care of them whenever possible.

9. How has this experience changed your perspective on work-life balance or the role of parents in the workplace?

I had no idea before becoming a parent just how much parents have to do before they even begin work! Some days I’ve had barely any sleep, an emotional toddler clinging to me and a difficult childcare drop off - and that’s before 8.30am. Then I have to switch my brain over to ‘work mode’. In these times it’s so important to have the tools to regulate your nervous system - I like to do a deep breathing exercise (try this one), have a coffee and listen to a podcast on my way to the office. 

My priorities have changed and although I love my job, I also don’t want to miss out on the early years with my daughter so I have to set boundaries. I believe it’s important to be open about the struggles of parenting with your team at work - it opens up the conversation; lots of people can relate and also will understand more about your life outside of work. 

Does your organisation offer Shared Parental Leave?

If your organisation isn't offering shared parental leave, it may be time to reassess why not.

Offering shared parental leave is a powerful way to support your employees, drive gender equality, and build a more inclusive workplace. By giving both parents the opportunity to take time off after the birth or adoption of a child, companies demonstrate a commitment to work-life balance and family support.

This policy not only helps mothers and fathers share caregiving responsibilities more equally, but also normalises the idea that both parents play an essential role in early child-rearing. In turn, it can help reduce the stigma surrounding parental leave for fathers and promote retention by providing greater flexibility. Offering shared parental leave sends a strong message that your organisation values its people and recognises the importance of family, leading to a more engaged, loyal, and motivated workforce.