If I had a pound for every time I have heard this myth… I probably wouldn’t be writing this blog! It persist like some kind of folk lore amongst teachers – this idea that you must return to work for a day, a few days, a week… in order to be paid for the upcoming school holiday. Similarly we are frequently asked if it’s ok to start your leave on the first day of a term, or whether you might lose your pay for the holiday just passed if you don’t go back in for at least one day.

There are two eligibility thresholds for SPL - a higher one for the parent who wishes to use SPL, and a lower one for the parent who is sharing responsibility for the child but isn’t intending to take any shared parental leave themselves. The higher threshold is the same as the one for maternity leave - you must have completed 26 weeks of work with the same employer by the qualifying week (15 weeks before the due date). The government website has a handy eligibility checker

This is a topic that is close to my heart - as my first baby was due in the summer holidays. I remember the feeling of injustice at having worked the whole school year - more than earning my six weeks summer holiday pay - but facing the reality that most of that pay would end up being my 6 weeks of the only decent part of my occupational maternity pay offer! That’s what led me to discover SPL and its benefits in the first place, so ultimately it was a blessing in disguise, bu