EEF offers help understanding new parental rights rules

SME manufacturers in Birmingham are being offered advice on understanding and implementing new Shared Parental Leave rights which come into effect this April.

EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, is running a half-day seminar in Birmingham on Tuesday (January 27) aimed at helping firms which may be uncertain how to prepare for the changes in legislation.

Research by EEF has shown that 40% of HR professionals see shared parental leave as one of the key challenges their organisation will need to face within the next three to six months. As a result, they rank shared parental leave as a bigger challenge in 2015 than improving attendance and performance, managing change and equal pay issues.
 
The introduction of shared parental leave marks a radical change in family leave and affects all employers. Parents will be able to share up to 50 weeks leave between them. They can take this leave at the same time or separately, and can choose to intersperse periods of work and leave.

EEF said this “unprecedented” level of flexibility would inevitably lead to serious challenges for small firms.

The seminar, which takes places at the EEF offices in St James’s House, Edgbaston, will show employers how to tailor and review policy to suit their business, help them understand what other HR/family leave policy changes are required, enable them to make informed decisions about shared parental leave pay and benefits, get up-to-speed on other recent reforms to family rights, including increased antenatal and adoption rights and better understand the likely impact and the predicted demands for a more flexible workplace.
 
Lucy Atherton, Legal Compliance expert at EEF, said: “Shared parental leave is a fantastic opportunity for companies to promote a more gender-neutral approach to work-life balance, but as with anything new and unknown, it’s not without its challenges.  
 
“With the changes due in April, it’s vital that local businesses get up-to-speed as quickly as possible so that they and their staff can maximise the benefits, while avoiding potential downfalls. Our seminar is designed to help them do just that, leaving attendees able to look forward to their first shared parental leave application with every confidence.”
 
Further details on the seminar and how to book a place are available by visiting: http://www.eef.org.uk/business-support/seminars-and-events/whos-holding-the-baby