Isle of Man to introduce shared parental leave

The new parental leave and parental bereavement leave policy will come into force from 1 November

New parents on the Isle of Man will be able to share up to 50 weeks' unpaid leave from 1 November after changes to employment legislation were unanimously approved by Tynwald.

Entitlement to an additional two weeks' unpaid bereavement leave following the death of a child under 18 or a stillbirth after 24 weeks will be introduced from the same date.

Enterprise Minister Tim Johnston said that while maternity, paternity and adoption leave were introduced on the Isle of Man in 2007, there had been little change to the provision since.

"These new rights represent meaningful progress in how we value and support families in the workplace and their contribution to the economy," he said.

'Modern family life'

The measures allow for unpaid leave from a worker's employer, and will be supported by the introduction of a parental bereavement allowance and a shared parental allowance from the Treasury.

Johnston said the island was "going further" than UK legislation by introducing a week's unpaid leave entitlement for parents who suffer a miscarriage.

"No parent should have to face the loss of a child without the time or support they need," he said.

"Shared parental leave ensures sharing responsibilities can be managed in a way that reflects modern family life."

The new measure, which will enable new parents to share leave during their baby's first 12 months, will be additional to existing maternity and paternity leave policies.

It will also apply to adoptive parents.

Ramsey MHK Lawrie Hooper described the new legislation as an "exceptionally good step forward".

He said he was pleased to see there would be 50 weeks of shared leave, an increase on the current 39-week maternity leave provision and two weeks of paternity leave.

Treasury Minister Alex Allinson said the new allowances "ensures that eligible parents are not forced to choose between work and family at critical moments".

The government has urged employers to "make themselves aware of the reforms [and] make any necessary changes" ahead of 1 November.