Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department offers its staff shared parental leave from their first working day.

The Ministry of Justice does not offer employees shared parental leave from their first day of employment.

The Department’s shared parental leave policy aligns with the statutory provisions. To be eligible for leave, employees must meet the continuity of employment test, and the employment and earnings test set out in the Shared Parental Leave Regulations 2014.

For the continuity of employment test, an employee must have worked for the same employer for at least 26 weeks by the end of the 15th week before their baby is due or their adoption match date.

For the employment and earnings test, an employee and their partner must have worked for at least 26 of 66 weeks before the expected birth date or adoption match date.

There are other criteria an employee must meet relating to sharing the caring responsibilities for a child.

As with any changes to employment legislation, internal policies and processes will be updated as appropriate in preparation for when the Employment Rights Bill 2024 comes into effect.