Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 16
16
Acknowledged
Reduce notice periods for Shared Parental Leave to maximise flexibility within the scheme.
Conclusion
The Government’s review should examine barriers to flexibility in the SPL scheme, including the requirement for employees to give employers eight weeks’ notice of blocks of leave and changes to start and end dates for leave. This should be with a view, subject to consultation with employers, to reducing notice periods and maximising flexibility within the scheme. (Recommendation, Paragraph 93)
Government Response Summary
The government welcomes the committee's call for a full review of the parental leave and pay system, confirming it is underway, gathering evidence to identify opportunities for improvement and will publish findings and a roadmap for potential reforms.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The government recognises that the current system does not support working families as well as it could, as the system of existing parental leave and pay entitlements has grown incrementally over time creating a complex landscape of social security legislation. We therefore welcome the committee’s calls for a “full review” and have delivered on our manifesto commitment to launch a review of the system, wherein all current and upcoming parental leave and pay entitlements will be in scope. The review is underway with a period of discovery to understand the current system and gather evidence and views from stakeholders. This will help us identify where there might be opportunities for improvement. We will want to engage and consult with stakeholders throughout to inform the ongoing work. We have already undertaken a call for evidence and once the review has concluded the government will publish a set of findings and a roadmap, including next steps for taking any potential reforms forward to implementation.