Section 27 — Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act 1987: Extended leave to be shared between parents

27 Extended leave to be shared between parents (1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, where an employee and that employee's spouse or partner are both entitled to extended leave pursuant to section 23 or section 24 of this Act, the combined entitlements of that employee and that employee's spouse or partner to extended leave under this Act shall be a total period or periods not exceeding 52 weeks which shall be shared between them in accordance with subsection (2) of this section. (2) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the period or periods of extended leave provided by section 26(1) of this Act shall be shared between an employee and that employee's spouse or partner in one of the following ways: (a) By either the employee or the employee's spouse or partner taking the full period of extended leave, or any lesser period, in a continuous period not exceeding 52 weeks, and by the other of them not taking any period of maternity or extended leave under this Act: (b) By both the employee and the employee's spouse or partner each taking one period of extended leave in such a manner that the total period formed by adding together the 2 periods of extended leave does not exceed 52 weeks, and by neither the employee nor the employee's spouse or partner taking any period of maternity leave under this Act: (c) By either the employee or the employee's spouse or partner taking a period of maternity leave and by either or both of the employee and the employee's spouse or partner each taking one period of extended leave in such a manner that the total period formed by adding together the period or periods of extended leave and the period of maternity leave (excluding any period of maternity leave in excess of 14 weeks taken under section 9(2) of this Act) does not exceed 52 weeks: (d) In such a manner as may be agreed on by the employee and the employee's spouse or partner and their respective employers. Section 27 was amended, as from 26 April 2005, by section 8 Parental Leave and Employment Protection Amendment Act 2005 (2005 No 18) by inserting the words “ or partner ” after the word “ spouse ” wherever it appears.