Giving notice of intention to take shared parental leave

The right to take SPL is only triggered when the mother or primary adopter gives notice to cut short her statutory maternity or adoption leave (or if she qualifies for statutory maternity or adoption pay, or maternity allowance but not leave, when she ends these rights). This means that the first step is always for the mother to give notice to end her rights.

Both statutory maternity and adoption leave can be brought to an end early (“curtailed”) either:

• by giving eight weeks’ notice of the intention to return early in the normal way (see page 318) and then returning to work as planned; or

• by giving eight weeks’ notice that the leave will end on a specified future date.