Shared Parental Leave - Process Guide for Headteachers - March 2026

How SPL Works – Step by Step: STEP 5

Step 5: Manager Response

Managers must respond within 14 days of receiving a Booking Notice:

• Continuous leave (one block):

  Must be approved.

• Discontinuous leave (multiple blocks):

  Managers may:

• Agree to the requested patterns.
• Discuss and negotiate alternatives.
• Refuse the discontinuous pattern.

Please note:

Managers can only refuse discontinuous Shared Parental Leave (ShPL) when an employee submits one booking notice that includes multiple separate leave periods. In that case, the employer may refuse the pattern within the 14-day discussion period but must allow the employee to take the leave as one continuous block instead if still required.

If an employee submits three separate booking notices for three separate periods of leave, these are treated as separate requests and cannot be refused just because the leave is discontinuous, as long as each notice meets statutory requirements.

Each booking notice counts toward the employee’s maximum of three requests.

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