Tips for parents
The overwhelming tip from parents who have taken Shared Parental Leave is to give it a go! They also share their practical suggestions such as the necessity of taking the time to read up on the policy itself.
Video case studies
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Sarada and Adam
Sarada, a hospital general manager, took 3 months maternity leave and Adam, a civil servant, took 6 months SPL in Edwin’s first year.
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Amy and Ian
Amy and Ian both work for charities. Amy took eight months maternity leave, and Ian took four months of shared parental leave.
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Lizzie and Simon
Lizzie, who works in the pharmaceutical industry, and Simon, a former council employee, took two months’ shared parental leave at the same time when their daughter was born.
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Sam and Chloe
Chloe, a lawyer, and Sam an IT consultant, each took six months leave when their second son, Max, was born.
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Richard and Rob
Richard, a doctor, took ten-and-a-half months adoption leave and Rob, a lawyer, took a month SPL.
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Martina and Dave
Martina and Dave, who both work for charities, each took six months of leave to look after Catherine.
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Emma and Mark
Emma, who runs a small marketing agency, took five months maternity leave, and Mark, a management consultant, took seven months SPL to care for Louis.
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Zoe and Sherman
Zoe, a GP, took six months maternity leave, and Sherman, a restaurant manager, took three months Additional Paternity Leave (APL) to care for their son Lucien.
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Anna and Katy
Anna, a university lecturer, and Katy, a secondary school teacher, each took six months of leave to look after their son Edward.
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Making room for dads
Dr Emma Banister (University of Manchester) and Dr Ben Kerrane (Lancaster University), aim to investigate the experiences of men as they become fathers for the first time, and the impact of the Shared Parental Leave scheme.
Research partners
