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Changes to entitlements for working parents
baby
The changes to leave and pay entitlements aims to allow fathers to take a greater role in childcare.

Pay and leave entitlements will change from 2015

Statutory pay and leave entitlements for working parents will change on April 5, 2015, to enable fathers to take a greater role in childcare and to help parents manage childcare whilst staying in work.

For businesses, this means they can hold on to their best members of staff, as female employees will in theory be less likely to drop out of the workplace when they start a family.

Parents of babies due (or adopted children placed) on or after April 5, 2015, may be eligible for Shared Parental Leave (SPL) or Shared Parental Pay (ShPP). This will replace the current system of Additional Paternity Leave and Pay.

SPL gives working mothers the option to end their maternity pay and leave early - any time from two weeks after the birth or placement. They can then share their untaken leave and pay with their partner. Similarly, adopters will be able to end their adoption leave and pay early and opt into ShPP.

SPL can be stopped and started and parents can be off at the same time if they wish.

Parents are also able to take leave in phases, e.g 20 weeks off for the mother, followed by 20 weeks for the father, then another 10 weeks of for the mother. Parents must notify their employer of their plans eight weeks before they become eligible for SPL.

All shared leave and pay must be taken between the birth or placement and the child's first birthday.

The current entitlement to 52 weeks statutory maternity or adoption leave, 39 of which is paid, and two weeks statutory paternity leave and pay, remain unchanged.

The first six weeks of Statutory Adoption Pay is set to rise to 90 per cent of average weekly earnings.

The first notifications of intention to take SPL are expected to arrive with employers from February 2015. Parents will be able to use a Government online form, but employers may wish to create their own method for employees to notify them.

Employers may need to update payroll systems to allow for providing Statutory Parental Pay.

Information supplied by permission of Ballams Chartered Accountants, Ipswich

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Cold-water dip to raise funds for Vetlife

News Story 1
 The veterinary mental health charity Vetlife is inviting the veterinary community to join it for a sponsored cold-water dip.

The event will take place at Walpole Bay, Margate, on 17 May during Mental Health Awareness Week. Participants of all abilities can join in the challenge and are advised to bring a towel, a hot drink, a snack, and warm clothes to get changed into afterwards.

Those taking part are being asked to try to raise £100 each to support the work of the charity.

Details about how to take part can be found here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Bluetongue low vector period ends

In an update to its bluetongue guidance, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that the seasonal low vector period for the disease has ended.

With winter over, Defra is planning for a possible increase in cases as midges become more active. It has warned that farms along the east coast of England from Norfolk to Kent, and along the south coast from Kent to Devon, are at highest risk from infected midges blown over from northern Europe.

Since the virus was detected in England in November 2023, there have been 126 confirmed cases. The most recent case to be confirmed was on 1 March 2024.

Farmers are asked to continue to frequently monitor their livestock and ensure their animals and land are registered with the Animal and Plant Health Agency.