Shared parental leave comes into effect

Shared parental leave has officially come into effect today.

Under the new rules parents with children who are born, or adopted, on or after today can share up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay between them.

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Barnardo's: Parental leave 'not only a woman's issue'

A charity is warning the legislation will not have the desired impact unless businesses give it their full backing.

Barnardo's believes the new measures will allow low-paid working families, where the mother is the higher earner, the opportunity to provide parental support for their child without worrying about losing their jobs.

Leave to look after children is not only a woman's issue.

This law can spearhead a profound cultural change and tackle long-standing gender-biased attitudes to parenting.

This entitlement must be met with a commitment from businesses to ensure employees understand their rights and suffer no stigma in the workplace for taking parental leave.

– Barnardo's chief executive Javed Khan

The legislation applies equally for same-sex and adoptive couples.

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Barnardo's: Employers must back parental leave law

A charity has said employers must throw their weight behind a new law which allows fathers of new babies to share parental leave with their partners - or it could quickly "run into the sand".

Barnardo's: Employers must back parental leave law. Credit: PA

Parents of babies born from tomorrow can now split up to 52 weeks of shared parental leave between them as well as up to 39 weeks of statutory shared parental pay, Barnardo's said.

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