The Chancellor, George Osborne, has this week announced that the option to take shared parental leave will be extended to include Grandparents. It is reported on Gov.UK that nearly 2 million Grandparents have given up work, reduced hours or taken annual leave to support their families with childcare. The idea therefore of extending shared parental leave might be an alternative solution for families requiring support. How the current rules will apply to Grandparents hasn’t been announced yet so who knows how attractive the option might be. Will Grandparents think this is a good idea ?

The Chancellor, George Osborne, has this week announced that the option to take shared parental leave will be extended to include Grandparents. It is reported on Gov.UK that nearly 2 million Grandparents have given up work, reduced hours or taken annual leave to support their families with childcare. The idea therefore of extending shared parental leave might be an alternative solution for families requiring support. How the current rules will apply to Grandparents hasn’t been announced yet so who knows how attractive the option might be. Will Grandparents think this is a good idea ? Wait and see.

Consultation will begin in 2016 with view to implementation in 2018.  No rush then.