Shared Maternity Leave and Benefit Bill 2018

Public bill · Private Member · Introduced

The Shared Maternity Leave and Benefit Bill 2018 would let a pregnant employee share part of her maternity leave with the other parent, if she chooses. It would also extend social welfare support so that the parent taking shared leave could receive a corresponding shared leave benefit, alongside existing paternity benefit rules. The mother’s partner would still need to give proper notice to the employer and provide proof of the pregnancy, and taking shared leave would not remove the parent’s separate right to paternity leave. It matters because it gives families more flexibility in how they divide care in the early months after a child is born.

Formal long title

Bill entitled an Act to amend the Maternity Protection Acts 1994 and 2004 and the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 to make provision whereby parents can share their entitlement to maternity leave and to provide for related matters.

Last updated 13 February 2020