Policies, contracts, letters, guidance and HR support tools for UK employers.
View full library
Our Shared Parental Leave Policy Template outlines entitlements and procedures for employees sharing parental responsibilities, ensuring fairness and flexibility in caregiving arrangements.
1 Overview
1.1 The organisation is committed to supporting employees to balance their work and family responsibilities. This Shared Parental Leave Policy aims to provide a flexible and supportive framework for eligible employees to take leave to care for their new-born or newly-adopted child.
2 Scope
2.1 This policy is applicable to all employees of [Company].
3 General principles
3.1 At [Company Name], we believe that supporting employees to balance their work and family responsibilities is crucial to creating a positive and productive workplace. This SPL policy is intended to provide a flexible and supportive framework for eligible employees to take leave to care for their new-born or newly-adopted child. If you have any questions about SPL, please speak to your line manager or the HR department.
3.1 Eligibility
To be eligible for SPL, employees must have been continuously employed by the company for at least 26 weeks by the end of the
To view in full, make a purchase
For more value, this is also found in our Full library and Parental policy templates
The purpose of a Shared Parental Leave (SPL) policy is to provide a clear and consistent framework for eligible employees who wish to take time off work to care for their new-born or newly-adopted child. The policy outlines the eligibility criteria, notification requirements, entitlements, pay options, and other terms and conditions associated with SPL.
The policy is intended to support a family-friendly workplace culture, which recognizes the importance of work-life balance for employees, particularly for new parents. By providing employees with the opportunity to take SPL, employers can improve employee morale and retention, while also promoting equality and diversity in the workplace.
The SPL policy also helps employers to comply with their legal obligations to provide eligible employees with time off work to care for their children. By setting out the company's approach to SPL in a clear and accessible manner, the policy can reduce misunderstandings and disputes between employers and employees regarding SPL.
Here are some key pieces of UK employment legislation that govern Shared Parental Leave (SPL):
The Shared Parental Leave Regulations 2014: This legislation sets out the eligibility criteria, notification requirements, and entitlements for SPL.
The Equality Act 2010: This legislation prohibits discrimination on the grounds of gender, pregnancy, or maternity. It also provides protection against discrimination for employees who take SPL.
The Employment Rights Act 1996: This legislation provides eligible employees with the right to take SPL and protects them against detriment or dismissal for taking SPL.
The Paternity and Adoption Leave Regulations 2002: This legislation provides eligible employees with the right to take paternity leave and adoption leave.
The Maternity and Parental Leave etc. Regulations 1999: This legislation provides eligible employees with the right to take maternity leave and parental leave.
The Working Time Regulations 1998: This legislation sets out the maximum number of hours that employees can work per week and provides employees with the right to take rest breaks and holidays.
The National Minimum Wage Act 1998: This legislation sets out the minimum wage rates that employers must pay their employees.
Yes. This template has been designed for organisations of all sizes, including small businesses, charities and growing employers. It follows UK employment law best practice and can be adapted to suit your organisation.
Our templates are developed with UK employment legislation, Acas guidance and HR best practice in mind and are reviewed and updated as relevant requirements change. However, every employment situation is different, so the template should be adapted to the circumstances and checked against the employee's contract and your organisation's procedures before use.
Yes, we highlight the areas of the document that you need to update with your own details, and where you need to make decisions to suit your situation. This saves you time and ensures that you meet best practice.
Yes. Once purchased, you'll be able to download it instantly. Templates are provided in editable format (such as .doc or .xls) so you can customise them easily, and in PDF format for easy sharing.
If you're looking for broader support, we also offer toolkits and library bundles that include the Shared parental leave policy template, along with other HR templates and policies for fully managing your situation. These may be more cost-effective if you need deeper advice.
AI can produce a document quickly, but effective HR documentation needs to be more than well-written words. It needs to reflect relevant UK employment law, HR best practice, practical considerations and the circumstances in which it will be used. These resources have been professionally developed around that wider HR context, drawing on extensive practical experience, rather than simply generating a generic document from a prompt.
Darryl Horn, Chartered HR Director
Darryl is a Chartered HR professional with over 25 years' experience in senior HR and employee relations roles.
He has extensive practical experience of managing parental processes and founded hrdocbox to provide businesses with practical, professionally developed HR resources grounded in UK employment law and best practice.
"Darryl provides support and advice with excellent judgement, and has a strong understanding of people, policies and UK employment legislation."
"He is someone I trust; consistent, dependable, and committed to doing things properly."
Parental policies
4 templates
£34.90
Whether you employ 5 people or 50, hrdocbox gives you the structure, documents and expertise needed to manage employees professionally and legally.
Professionally written and fully compliant with UK employment law
Access a free contract template instantly - or save 10% on any document today.
Use this code at checkout for 10% off anything!
Includes instant download, updates, and full access to your HR templates.
Handbook library
131 templates
Full library
776 templates