Updates to Shared Parental Leave Regulations and National Minimum Wage Rates

Michelle Last looks at recent changes to shared parental leave and the National Minimum Wage.

Shared parental leave to be extended to grandparents

Since April 2015, parents have been able to share up to 50 weeks of shared parental leave, where the mother sacrifices up to 50 weeks of her maternity leave. The Government has now announced that it will extend this right to grandparents by 2018. This means that grandparents will be able to take up to 50 weeks’ paid time off. Take-up of men requesting shared parental leave has been limited so far. An HR Director at PwC recently announced that PwC had received less than ten applications by fathers to take shared parental leave since April 2015. Accordingly, employers can expect even less take-up from grandparents.

Increase in National Minimum Wage rates

The National Minimum Wage increased from 1 October 2015 as follows:

• The standard adult rate (workers aged 21 and over) is £6.70;
• The development rate (workers aged between 18 and 20) is £5.30;
• The young workers rate (workers aged under 18 but above the compulsory school age who are not apprentices) is £3.87; and
• The rate for apprentices is £3.30.

From 1 October 2015, the accommodation offset is £5.35 each day.