Deloitte commits to enhanced Shared Parental Leave support

As a mark of its commitment to supporting working families and ensuring equality of benefits between parents, Deloitte has today revealed plans to offer its people enhanced Shared Parental Leave (SPL). This will match Deloitte’s current level of enhanced maternity and adoption pay, which allows 16 weeks at full pay, followed by 10 weeks at half pay.

From 5 April 2015, new UK legislation will allow mothers, fathers, partners, and adopters to opt for SPL, to be taken up to a year after a child is born or adopted. Under the legislation, eligible parents will have the option to share a period of their maternity or adoption leave with their partner, including sharing statutory pay.

Deloitte’s announcement comes as the Deputy Prime Minister today reiterates the Government’s commitment to supporting working families, including SPL, the legal right to request flexible working and the extension of free childcare places.

Emma Codd, managing partner for talent at Deloitte, said:

“Supporting parents that work at Deloitte is a firm-wide priority, and was recently recognised with our inclusion in the Top Employers for Working Families list. We’re encouraged by the changes that the Government is introducing, which have the potential for a hugely positive impact, but meeting that potential requires wide-spread adoption.

“Beyond SPL, we are introducing additional enhanced parental policies, including paid time off for fathers and partners to attend ante-natal appointments, and for co-adopters to attend adoption appointments. Additionally, we’ll be offering those who become parents through surrogacy the same leave and pay entitlement as other parents.

“Our plans around SPL will accompany steps we have already taken to help our people find a genuine career/life balance, including the agile working arrangements we announced earlier this year.”

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said:

“I’m delighted that Deloitte is taking positive steps in modernising the workplace. It is bizarre that even in the 21st Century, hundreds and thousands of employees are still restricted by Edwardian rules when it comes to juggling their work and family lives.

“We need a modern Britain that works for modern families, not against them. I’ve fought hard in Government to bring about that change whether it’s through the introduction of flexible working, free childcare, shared parental leave or equalising paternity pay so that men can spend more time with their newborn child without being penalised financially.

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About Deloitte

In this press release references to Deloitte are references to Deloitte LLP, which is among the country's leading professional services firms.

Deloitte LLP is the United Kingdom member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (“DTTL”), a UK private company limited by guarantee, whose member firms are legally separate and independent entities. Please see www.deloitte.co.uk/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of DTTL and its member firms.

The information contained in this press release is correct at the time of going to press. For more information, please visit www.deloitte.co.uk.

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