Statutory SPL Pay (ShPP)
A mother, who meets the eligibility criteria, is entitled to statutory maternity/adoption pay or maternity allowance for up to 39 weeks. If the mother has given notice that they wish to curtail their maternity/adoption leave and opt into SPL before they have received all of their 39 weeks statutory pay then any remaining weeks could become payable as SShP.
The weekly rate of ShPP is set by the Government and mirrors the rate of statutory maternity/adoption pay and maternity allowance.
If both parents are eligible to receive ShPP they need to decide who is going to receive it, and when, and inform their respective employers. For employees of the University, this information is captured on the CHRIS75a and CHRIS75b.
Enhanced SPL Pay (EShPP)
University employees are entitled to 18 weeks SPL at full pay, minus any enhanced maternity/adoption or paternity pay they have already received.
For example, a new father who is employed by the University, is eligible to SPL and whose partner has curtailed her maternity leave after 26 weeks, is entitled to take 26 weeks SPL. As the father has already taken 2 weeks paternity leave at full pay, he is therefore entitled to 16 weeks SPL at full pay and 10 weeks unpaid.
EShPP is comprised of a contractual SPL pay provision and any Statutory SPL Pay (ShPP) to which the employee is entitled. If the amount due is less than the ShPP provision, only ShPP will be payable. The amount payable cannot be more than the employee’s usual weekly earnings.
An employee may opt to hold over the 18 weeks EShPP that is in excess of their statutory entitlement and receive this pay in full once they have returned to work for a period of not less than three months.
EShPP is subject to the condition that no work is undertaken during the paid period of leave other than ‘SPL in touch days’ (see ‘Communication during SPL, SPLIT days’ below).
Payment will normally be made through the payroll on the employees normal pay date.
Where an employee does not return to work for a minimum of three months after a period of SPL they will be required to repay any EShPP that they have received (see ‘Return to Work, Repayment’ below).