Parenting & Flexible Working Policy

  1. This is Elderflower Legal’s Parenting and Flexible Working Policy Statement (“the Policy”). The Policy will be reviewed regularly and may be changed from time to time. Consultation will take place before changes are made to the Policy and no changes will have retrospective effect unless wholly uncontentious. Except in relation to actual pregnancy, “she” includes “he”, “her” includes “his” and so forth.

Parenting Policy: Full Parental Leave

  1. This part of the Policy applies to an employee of the Company who ceases work (and continues to be absent) by reason of her pregnancy, her childbirth and/or the assumption by an employee of either sex of primary and full-time responsibility for looking after the child for a period equivalent to maternity leave. The Parenting Policy also applies to a member of staff of either sex who adopts a child, or whose partner gives birth to or adopts a child, provided that the staff member ceases work (and continues to be absent) in order to take primary and full-time responsibility for looking after the child for a period equivalent to maternity leave. The term “full parental leave” in this Policy covers any cessation of work in accordance with this part of the Parenting Policy; it is distinct from “short parental leave” defined below. The rules in this Policy apply to each occasion of pregnancy, childbirth, full time child care or adoption, provided that the financial terms on a staff member’s return to work from parental leave in paragraph 6 below do not apply in relation to a return to work following a second or subsequent period of parental leave with respect to the same child.
  2. A member of staff may cease work by reason of her pregnancy, her childbirth, full time child care (including on adoption) and take full parental leave. The member of staff must give the Company at least 28 days’ advance notice of the start of her parental leave, or such lesser notice as is reasonably practicable in the circumstances. The date of commencement and the duration of parental leave are matters of personal choice for the member of staff.
  3. A member of staff and the Company must keep in reasonable contact with each other during the staff member’s full parental leave. For example, the Company will keep the member informed of Company meetings, and the Company seminars, marketing and social events, and the staff member will keep abreast of important Company business.
  4. A member of staff must give the Company at least 28 days’ advance notice of her intention to return to work from parental leave. After she has given notice of her return from parental leave, the member will receive administrative and marketing assistance from the Company with a view to re-establishing her practice. The member of staff may undertake occasional appropriate work during parental leave, for example, attending a long-standing meeting commitment. On return to work, and if the member of staff does any work during her parental leave, she must ensure that her practising certificate and insurance are current.
  5. No contributions, rent or expenses are payable during the first six months after a member’s return to work from parental leave. Six months after the member’s return to work from parental leave, the member will become subject to the general Company rules which apply to contributions, rent and expenses (including the specific provisions relating to return from full parental leave). Under the current Company contribution policy, no member will pay a contribution of more than 25% of earnings. It is a matter of personal choice for a member of staff whether on return from parental leave she wishes to work full-time, to work flexible hours, to work part-time, or to work partly from home.

Parenting Policy: Short Parental Leave

  1. Staff may (as an alternative to Full Parental Leave if applicable) take a one-off 1 month period of parental leave in connection with the birth or adoption of his/her child (“short parental leave”) during which the member of staff will be entitled to a 1 month contribution holiday on the basis that the member of staff will not be working (or working more than de minimis) during the period of short parental leave.
  2. The member of staff must give the Company at least 28 days’ advance notice of the start of her short parental leave, or such lesser notice as is reasonably practicable in the circumstances. The date of commencement of parental leave is a matter of personal choice for the member of staff.

Flexible Working Policy

  1. Where a member of staff of either sex adopts a child, or whose partner gives birth to or adopts a child, but who does not cease work in order to take primary and full-time responsibility for looking after the child, that member may decide to take a period of absence from practice. A member who wishes to do so should discuss his/her intentions with the Company at least (so far as practicable) 28 days prior to the proposed start of such absence.
  2. It is also a matter of personal choice for a member of staff whether she wishes to work full-time, to work flexible hours, to work part-time, or to work partly from home (whether in order to undertake the care of another, to accommodate disability, or for any other reason). A member who wishes to work other than full time in the Company should discuss his/her intentions with the Company, at least (so far as practicable) 28 days prior to the intended change in working arrangements. If a member decides to work in such a manner, she will continue to be included in the opportunity to participate in networking and marketing activities.

Complaints

  1. Any concerns or complaints concerning the operation of this Policy should be raised with the Company’s Equality and Diversity Officer, Mark Johnson who will endeavour to resolve the matter informally in the first instance.

 

Adopted: May 2015
Revised: May 2018
Next Review: May 2019