Groundbreaking deal on shared parental leave at Santander Group

Telecoms & Financial Services March 9 2016

The CWU has applauded Santander’s progressive approach to shared parental leave following the company’s decision to press ahead immediately with plans to broaden the provision to include grandparents in certain circumstances.

Assistant secretary John East, who leads the CWU’s negotiations with Santander, explains: “As part of the recent pay deal we agreed new enhanced maternity, adoptive and shared parental leave – the latter of which places Santander in the vanguard of Britain’s most enlightened employers on maternity issues.

“Come the end of July, both maternity and adoptive leave will go up from 14 weeks at full pay to 16 weeks, which is obviously very welcome indeed, but it is in respect to shared parental leave that Santander is really blazing a trail that we hope other companies decide to follow.

“Not only is it increasing shared parental leave from 14 weeks at statutory pay to 16 weeks at full pay – but Santander has agreed that, where the mother is a Santander Group employee, they will allow a grandparent to use the shared parental leave so long as that grandparent is also a Santander Group employee.

“This means that Santander employee going on maternity leave can now choose to share her parental leave with either her partner or her mother or father, or the baby’s father’s mother or father, so long as the individual in question works for Santander.

“This is a truly enlightened move that goes well beyond the current requirements of UK legislation and demonstrates an industry-leading commitment to family-friendly policies.”

While the extension of shared parental leave to include grandparents employed by Santander was originally scheduled to come into force at the end of July, the company has now decided to implement it with immediate effect after receiving its first application from an employee keen to benefit from the new provision.

John East concludes: “We’re obviously delighted that Santander has decided to bring forward the new scheme to allow this particular family to benefit from a new provision which the company can be justifiably proud of.”