HPower Group Corporate Social Responsibility Statement

Introduction

HPower Group Is a holding company for a number of Limited Companies. These include HPower International Ltd, Windsor Equestrian Promotions Limited, Royal Windsor Endurance and HPG Endurance. The Group owns and manages the annual Royal Windsor Horse Show and Royal Windsor Endurance and manages on behalf of Clarion Events Limited, the annual London International Horse Show. In addition, every year that are likely to be one-off events and consultancy projects. Examples of the one-off events include the Platinum Jubilee Celebration in Windsor (2022), the D-Day 75th anniversary for the MOD and The Royal British Legion (2019), the Falklands 40 Anniversary commemoration for The Royal British Legion (2022), and the Rushford Endurance Rides (2022).

HPower Group Employees

Our staff are the core of our business and we are committed to ensuring that they have a positive and enjoyable working environment. We take their health and welfare very seriously. We have a small core team of c. 20 employees, many of whom have been with the company for other ten years which we believe is proof that we are able to achieve a company culture and working environment which have a positive impact on the lives of our employees.

Our Culture
Our company culture is important to us; in the event industry it is paramount that employees work as one team. There are five pillars which we believe create our positive company culture:

• We work as one team
• We communicate
• We respect each other
• We take decisions
• We feel pride in what we do

Looking after our people
In our industry experience is everything, it is therefore important to retain staff. in addition to a positive culture there are tangible benefits provided by HPower.

• Workplace pension plan
• Travel insurance
• Complimentary flu shots
• Days off in lieu of weekend working
• Generous annual leave allowance
• Codes of conduct designed to protect employees from harassment or discrimination in any form
• Provision of a safe work environment
• Support for employees in achieving a sensible work/life balance

Flexible Working
Many of our employees will work from home at least one day a week. We trust our employees to use their home working time effectively. We believe that this flexibility provides a good balance for our employees.

Annual Appraisals
At the end of all calendar years all employees undertake an annual appraisal. This is the opportunity for their line manager to discuss with them their achievements, any areas for improvement and goals for the future year. It is also the opportunity for the employee to air any concerns or grievances. At this meeting the employee is informed of their renumeration package for the future year.

Training
HPower has a training policy which invites every member of staff to suggest ways that they, or their team may improve their skills through training. There is a training budget available annually for all individual team members.

Diversity and Inclusion
HPower accepts its responsibility to ensure equality and diversity in all areas of operation. Our Equality and Diversity Policy can be found here. We also require our supply chain to demonstrate that they have appropriate policies in place.

Internships / Work Experience
HPower have worked with universities and schools in the past to take on internships. We provide a reasonable renumeration to our interns and work with them and their educational establishments to ensure that they maximise the benefits of the internship. We ensure that the intern is exposed to all working areas of the company and would normally expect them to work at one or more events.

Charity and Community Engagement

Supporting Charities
Royal Windsor Horse Show and The London International Horse Show which both take place annually, have a different Show charity every year. The charity is chosen through submission of applications and then selection by the Show Committee. Charities that have been supported in the past include World Horse Welfare, Starlight, The Ebony Horse Trust, The Brooke, The Horse Trust and Richard House Hospice amongst many others. One-off events, such as The Platinum Jubilee Celebration will donate any surplus profits to selected charities. In the past these have included The Queen’s Trust and The Royal British Legion. The Queens 90th birthday celebration held in 2016 in Windsor raised over £1,000,000 for charities.
In addition, Royal Windsor Horse Show supports ABF, The Soldiers Charity annually and HPower International Ltd is a sponsor of The Last Post Association.

The London Academy
For the second third time this year, HPower is running the London Academy as a part of its engagement programme for London International Horse Show. The Academy helps improve the skills of disadvantaged young riders. This year we are working with Ebony Riding Club who are the show’s official charity.

Supporting the Local Community

Windsor and Eton Town Partnership
HPower Group is a paying Member of the Windsor and Eton Town Partnership. This partnership is a public and private sector venture with the support of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead and a number of other locally based key businesses and organisations. Expertise and resources are pooled to meet local needs and common objectives. These include accesibility, the environment, safety and security, and the promotion of the town.

Volunteers Programme
HPower Group runs a volunteers programme for Royal Windsor Horse Show, London International Horse Show, Royal Windsor Endurance and Rushford Endurance. Over 450 volunteers will take part in the programme across the course of the year. HPower Group recognizes the importance of looking after the volunteers so that they benefit as much as they can from their participation in the programme. Volunteers are welcomed as part of the event team and provided with complimentary clothing, meals, parking, tickets for friends and family and programmes. Many of our volunteers have been with us for over five years.

Financial benefits that our events bring to the local community
Large-scale events will bring positive economic benefits to the communities in which they are located. These include:

• Hotel and B&B occupancy
• Increased footfall for retailers
• Restaurant reservations
• Attendance at other local attractions
• Community engagement

The Armed Forces Covenant

HPower Group holds the Silver award for the Government’s defence employer recognition scheme – The Armed Forces Covenant. This scheme asks the employer to proactively demonstrate that service personnel and members of the armed forces community are not unfairly disadvantaged as part of their recruiting and selection processes. The employer must actively ensure that their workforce is aware of their positive policies towards defence people issues.

Working with our Supply Chain

In the event industry we rely on a number of key suppliers to work with us in delivering the event. It is important that our suppliers understand our working policies and that their working practises help us ensure that we deliver against these policies.

Sourcing and contracting key suppliers
Contracts are negotiated through the supply chain process, with most on long-term (three-year) contracts. Our four key criteria when assessing suppliers are:
Cost – competitive pricing | value for money
Opportunity – How flexible can they be (knowing criteria may change).
Sustainability – What policies do they have and how do they make their business/product as sustainable as possible.
Experience – Due diligence based on past experience of using this supplier

Fair treatment of our suppliers
HPower include in our procurement processes the insistence that our suppliers shall not threaten workers with or subject them to harsh or inhumane treatment including sexual harassment, sexual abuse, corporal punishment, mental coercion, verbal abuse or unreasonable restrictions on the ability to complete a work-related task. We maintain a diverse workforce and all personnel are treated equally regardless of race, gender, religion or age. This is endorsed by our own working practices and Equality and Diversity policy.

This Corporate Social Responsibility Statement can be downloaded here.

HPower Group Environment & Sustainability Policy

General Introduction

HPower Group Is a holding company for a number of Limited Companies. These include HPower International Ltd, Windsor Equestrian Promotions Limited, Royal Windsor Endurance and HPG Endurance. The Group owns and manages the annual Royal Windsor Horse Show and manages, on behalf of Clarion Events Limited, the annual London International Horse Show. In addition, every year there are likely to be one or two one-off events and consultancy projects. Examples of the one-off events include the Platinum Jubilee Celebration in Windsor (2022), the D-Day 75th anniversary for the MOD and the Royal British Legion (2019), the Falklands 40 Anniversary commemoration for the Royal British Legion (2022), and the Rushford Endurance Rides (2022).

Whether it is our own event or one on behalf of a client, HPower’s mission is to deliver exceptional events that make a positive contribution to society and our shared future. We aim to manage our operations with environmental practices and social responsibility at their core. We endeavour to play a leadership role, inspiring audiences, the wider events industry and society to make positive changes that contribute to a positive future for all.

Sustainability and the Environment
HPower underpin their approach to all events with the understanding that sustainability should be fundamental to the management and monitoring of all services and supply of equipment. The work begins with appropriate design and event plans that demonstrate how we will deliver the requirements in line with our clients’ sustainability expectations. E.g.: a) using energy efficiently; b) reduction in total waste; c) reduction in environmental impact of staff and visitor travel; d) sustainable catering procurement; e) national heritage protection, g). local sourcing where possible.

Net Zero Carbon Events Initiative
HPower Group is a member of the Net Zero Carbon Events Initiative and Pledge. This initiative offers support for event organisers to help them:

• Map the carbon emissions of an event
• Calculate the carbon footprint of an event
• Create opportunities and goals for carbon reduction
• Manage offsetting of residual emissions
• Make credible Net Zero claims and interim milestones
• Collaborate with other industries

Environmental statement
We are committed to having the lowest possible negative impact on the natural world, and endeavour to make a net positive contribution by:

• Actively measuring and monitoring environmental impacts
• Reducing waste and managing disposal responsibly
• Reducing supply chain impacts of all types
• Identifying and capitalising on positive behaviour change opportunities
• Managing relationships with fairness and social responsibility

We recognise that events have several key areas of negative impacts including:

• Audience and contractor travel
• Food supply chain and sourcing
• Energy and fuel consumption
• Waste production and management

We also acknowledge that our business and events are uniquely placed to inspire and improve our supply chain, contractors and audiences to lead to a more sustainable future.

Reducing Impacts
HPower Group is committed to addressing its impacts in all areas of the business.
1. Offices
In our head office and our temporary on-site offices all staff are asked to adopt sustainable practices. These include:

• Thinking about whether it is necessary to print documents rather than view online
• Recycling of waste
• Increase energy efficiency by switching things off
• Ensure that all print material uses paper from renewable sources
• Use reusable products

An annual review of progress and performance ensures continuous improvement

2. Events
HPower Group sets minimum standards and targets for continuous improvement across all events in line with Government Events Environmental Policy:

• Review all processes and adopt new technology that can reduce carbon footprint
• Review signage, draping, displays, badges all items produced specific to the event to be reviewed for post event recycling or reusing
• All contractors’ environmental credentials to be considered when sourcing event requirements
• Work as standard with contractors who operate their own environmental policies
• Comply with relevant legislation, regulation and other guidelines relating to significant environmental impacts

The team recognises the value in existing relationships, and where possible works with existing stakeholders to make the changes required to meet the above.

Working with our partners and stakeholders

RBWM and the Windsor Climate Partnership
HPower Group have a very good working relationship with Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead and are a paying member of the Windsor and Eton Town Partnership Group.
RBWM Have recently established the Windsor Climate Partnership and we are communicating with them to establish Where is that we could work together to improve our environmental impacts.

Working with our Supply Chain
In the event industry we rely on a number of key suppliers to work with us in delivering the event. It is important that our suppliers understand our working policies and that their working practises help us ensure that we deliver against these policies.

Sourcing and contracting key suppliers
Contracts are negotiated through the supply chain process, with most on long-term (three-year) contracts. Our four key criteria when assessing suppliers are –
Cost – competitive pricing | value for money
Opportunity – How flexible can they be (knowing criteria may change).
Sustainability – What policies do they have and how do they make their business/product as sustainable as possible.
Experience – Due diligence based on past experience of using this supplier

Event Example
A project example of how we approach sustainability and environmental responsibility for an event is London International Horse Show. The ExCeL London halls, where the show is located, have an excellent sustainability programme; as organisers our efforts must concentrate on enhancing the existing venue’s programme.

• ExCeL sustainability programme
• Waste management at shows
  • • We make use of the venue’s existing waste management programme and ExCeL have a good track record of waste management in 2020 55.5% of waste was recycled and 45% converted into refuse derived fuels. ExCeL has its own wormery – the UK’s largest commercial wormery housing over 300,000 worms and all food bin waste goes to use in the wormery. All used vegetable oil is collected from site and turned into bio-fuel.

  But we also:

  • encourage all of our suppliers to think about the materials that they use in the build of the show and whether they can reuse or recycle after the event.
  • the arena equestrian surface is taken away and reused for other events
  • the equestrian waste is taken to a farm in Berkshire
• Reduced use of single-use plastic
  • we work with the venue to ensure that the permanent and temporary catering outlets offer minimum single use plastic
  • we communicate with our customers to encourage them to bring their own water bottles which they can refill at the venues filling points and reusable cups which if used, will offer a discount on hot drinks
• No plastic straws
  • we worked with the venue to ensure that the permanent and temporary catering outlets do not offer plastic straws
• Food Sourcing
  • we work with the venue to ensure that all permanent and temporary catering outlets source their food responsibly and ideally locally
  • we communicate with our customers our food policies
  • Surplus food from several of ExCeL’s biggest events is donated to Community Food Enterprise (CFE)
• Public Transport
  • we encourage our visitors to use public transport to come to the show by offering them as much information on the different ways to travel as possible
• Carbon Offsetting
  • We have worked with our box office to offer the option of contribution to carbon offsetting at the point when they purchase their tickets
• Electric Vehicles
  • We have introduced the use of electric tractors to manage the movement of heavy objects from the arena and to harrow the surface
• Re-use and Re-cycle
  • As far as we can the materials used to build the show are re-used or recycled. This includes all seating, drapes, structures, signage, the equestrian surface
  • We work with The Textile Review – a reclaiming service. They collect large pieces of fabric that would otherwise be end-of-life, and make it available to others by the metre. Over 400kg of fabric used for decorative and functional draping at the LIHS was collected after the show, taken to the studio based in Brighton, and has since been repurposed by textile artists, fashion students and even sold to smaller events to be used in similar ways. The Textile Review also operates as a Social Enterprise, committing at least 50% of all its profits toward impact in reducing textile waste.

Continuous Improvement

HPower Group recognises that reducing impacts is an on-going process of improvement, and that resource and budget constraints will necessitate a pragmatic approach and prioritisation. However, we are committed to a process of reviewing our performance annually in order to identify successes and improvements, informing changes to strategy.

The Sustainability and Environmental Policy will be reviewed on an annual basis, led by the Company Directors; however this includes and encourages contribution from all staff.

This Environment & Sustainability Statement can be downloaded here.

HPower Group Equality & Diversity Policy

Purpose of the Policy

The purpose of this policy is to state our Company’s values on equality and diversity and show how the Company will put these into practice. We want to show staff, potential staff and customers that the HPower Group (HPG) is serious about fairness.

HPG accepts its responsibility to ensure equality and diversity in all areas of operation.

Policy Aims and Objectives

HPG is committed to equality for all people. HPG is committed to operating in accordance with the 2010 Equality Act in the implementation of this Policy, in addition to any associated legislation laid out in the appendices of this document and relevant Codes of Practice.

HPG will monitor its policies and procedures to ensure that this policy and its principles are upheld. Every executive, manager and employee have the responsibility to implement this policy.

All staff have a responsibility not to discriminate or harass other staff, customers and contractors. Any behaviors of this manner should be reported to Madeleine Marston, HR Director immediately.

HPG is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to ensuring that the terms and conditions of employment of the employee and potential employee are equitable and non-discriminatory. All opportunities for and during employment will be awarded to individuals fairly and irrespective of age, disability, gender, gender reassignment, material or civil partnership status, maternity or pregnancy, race including colour, ethnic or national origins or nationality, religion or belief or sexual orientation (“the protected characteristics”). We aim to create a working environment that is free from discrimination and harassment in any form, in which staff,customers and contractors are treated with dignity and respect.

HPG will seek to promote equal opportunities and prevent discrimination and harassment by communicating this policy; by providing appropriate training and guidelines for those with designated responsibilities and by raising awareness through staff development.

Protected Characteristics

Protected characteristics are specific aspects of a person’s identity defined by the Equality Act 2010. The ‘protection’ relates to protection from discrimination.

HPG is committed to ensuring that everyone is treated fairly, has equal access to services and is not discriminated against, harassed or victimised in relation to the following protected characteristics identified under the Equality Act 2010:

Age
This refers to an individual of a specific age (e.g., 32) or an age range (e.g., 18 – 30).

Disability
In the legislation, persons are defined as having a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment, which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day to day activities.

Gender Reassignment
This refers to the process of changing from one gender to the other (change from male to female or female to male) and comes under the equality aspect described as gender identity.

Marriage and Civil Partnerships
Marriage is defined as a formal union between a man and a woman or two people of the same sex. Same-sex couples can additionally have their relationships legally recognized as ‘civil partnerships’. Civil partners must be treated in the same way as married couples in a wide range of legal matters.

Pregnancy and Maternity
Pregnancy is the condition of being pregnant or expecting a baby. Maternity refers to the period following birth and is associated with maternity leave in the employment contract. In a context apart from work, women are protected from being discriminated against on the basis of maternity for 26 weeks after giving birth, and this includes treating a woman unfavourably because she is breastfeeding.

Race
In legislation, this refers to a group of people defined according to their race, colour, nationality (including citizenship), or their ethnic or national origin.

Religion and Belief
Religion retains its usual meaning, but belief includes religious and philosophical creeds (e.g., Atheism). Generally, a belief should have an effect on your life choices or the way you live for it to be included in the definition. People with no religious belief are also protected,

Sex
This refers to a man or a woman.

Sexual Orientation
This refers to a person’s sexual attraction – are they attracted by people of the same sex, the opposite sex or people of both sexes. Although it is defined in legislation as a person’s sexual attraction, sexual orientation is a combination of emotional, romantic, sexual or affectionate attraction towards another person.

Defining Discrimination
Discrimination is defined in several ways. It may be deliberate or unconscious. It may occur on an individual level (person to person) or on an institutional level.

The Equality Act (2010) expects that all staff and contractors are aware of and understand the different ways in which discrimination can happen.

Direct Discrimination
Treating an individual less fairly/worse than another individual because of a protected characteristic.

Indirect Discrimination
This happens when a service provider or employer sets out a rule, policy or way of doing things which is relevant to all but has a worse effect on someone with a protected characteristic than on someone without such a characteristic, when this cannot be objectively justified.

Harassment
This happens when an individual behaves in an unpleasant manner which transgresses someone else’s dignity, or is aggressive, degrading, insulting or humiliating towards someone with a protected characteristic. It may be of a sexual nature.

Victimisation
Treating someone unfavourably because they have taken (or possibly intend to take) steps under the 2010Equality Act or is supporting someone who is taking steps.

Discrimination by Perception
People are protected against someone (wrongly) perceiving that they have one of the protected characteristics and discriminating against them and treating them less favourably/worse because of this.

Discrimination by Association
People are protected against someone discriminating against them because of their association with someone who has a protected characteristic. This includes the parent of a disabled child or adult or someone else who is a carer for a disabled person.

Discrimination on the basis of matters arising from a disability
Treating a disabled individual unfavourably because of something associated with the disability when this cannot be justified.

Working environment
All individuals have a right to be treated with dignity and respect and HPG takes reasonable steps to protect staff from discrimination, bullying or harassment and, in the event of a complaint, we will take appropriate action to prevent, as far as possible, a further occurrence.

All staff are encouraged to report any incidents of inappropriate or unacceptable behaviors at work or that occurs during the course of employment, on or off premises, including at work social events (whether organized by the Company or not) or at formal or informal events involving staff, customers or other work-related contacts.

Raising Awareness and Providing Guidance
HPG will ensure that our employees, potential employees and customers are aware of this policy bydistributing a copy to all employees, and to other workers on their engagement. Job seekers, applicants and customers will be sent a copy of the policy on request.

It is important that all of our staff are fully aware of this policy, and the importance of equality and diversity issues.

This policy does not form part of the employment contract and may be changed at any time. The policy will be reviewed annually and changed accordingly.

Harassment and Bullying
Harassment and discrimination in relation to age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation is unlawful, and employees and customers of HPG have the right to be treated with dignity and respect.

HPG as an employer, and employees as individuals may be open to legal challenges under equality and diversity legislation. As an employer, HPG must be able to demonstrate that its employment policies and procedures are fair and effective across the Company.

Staff Members
Complaints regarding harassment or discrimination by another member of staff will be investigated in accordance with the Workplace Harassment Policy.

Public
Any complaint by a member of the public will be investigated in accordance with the Company’s Complaints Policy.

Contractors
Any complaint regarding harassment will be investigated in accordance with the Contractor Agreement and the Dignity at Work Policy.

Monitoring
HPG will monitor the effectiveness of this policy to ensure it is achieving its objectives. In order to assess the success of the Equality and Diversity Policy, monitoring systems are essential.

As part of this process, we will monitor:

• We will monitor compliance with this policy through one to ones.

Information collected for monitoring purposes will be treated as confidential and will not be used for any other purpose.

Appendix 2- Summary of Relevant Legislation

This is not an exhaustive list. HPG will comply with all amendments and future legislations and regulations.

Equality Act 2010

The Equality Act 2010 provides a legislative framework to protect the rights of individuals and advance equality of opportunity for all. The act identifies the following protected characteristics; age, disability, gender re- assignment, marriage and civil partnerships, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex and sexual orientation. The Act protects individuals with protected characteristics from direct and indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation in employment and the provision of goods and services. Under the legislation organisations have duties to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people in employment and service provision.

Protection from Harassment Act 1997

Harassment is both a criminal offence and a civil action under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. This means that someone can be prosecuted in the criminal courts if they harass someone. It also means the person being harassed can act against the person in the civil courts. Generally speaking, harassment is behaviour which causes a person distress or alarm. The Act also says that the person must have experienced at least two incidents by the same person or group of people for it to be harassment. It’s the courts that decide if something is harassment under the Act. The courts will look at whether most people or a reasonable person would think the behaviour amounts to harassment.

Human Rights Act 1998

This Act contains a number of Articles with particular relevance for the way organisations handle equality and diversity of opportunity taken from the European Convention on Human Rights, they include:

• Right to life
• Prohibition of torture
• Prohibition of slavery and forced labour
• Right to liberty and security
• Right to a fair trial
• No punishment without law
• Right to respect for private and family life
• Freedom of thought, conscience and religion
• Freedom of expression
• Freedom of assembly and association
• Right to marry
• Prohibition of discrimination

Gender Recognition Act 2004

Allows transsexual people to apply for full legal recognition in their acquired gender. Following a successful application, the law regards the transsexual person, for all purposes, as being of the acquired gender.

Section 22 of the Act provides that it is an offence for person who has acquired protected information in an official capacity to disclose the information to any other person. “Protected information” is defined in section 22(2) as information relating to a person who has applied for a gender recognition certificate under the Act, and which concerns that application (or a subsequent application by them), or their gender prior to being granted a full GRC. Section 22(3) defines where a person acquires protected information “in an official capacity”.

Section 22 of the Act is designed to protect the privacy rights of transsexual people under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights by criminalising the disclosure of information relating to their gender history by a person who acquired that information in an official capacity. Section 22 sets out a series of exceptions, where disclosure is considered to be justified.

Staff should not ask to see a person’s Gender Recognition Certificate.

Employment Act 2002

The Employment Act is wide ranging, covering work and parents, dispute resolution in the workplace, improvements to employment tribunal procedures, including the introduction of an equal pay questionnaire, provisions to implement the Fixed Term Work Directive, a new right to time off work for union learning representatives, work focused interviews for partners of people receiving working-age benefits and some data sharing provisions. It also empowers the Secretary of State to make regulations to enable workers on short term contracts to enjoy the rights and benefits of permanent workers, including pay

The Employment Equality (Repeal of Retirement Age Provisions) Regulations 2011

The Default Retirement Age (DRA) changed on 6 April 2011.

The DRA was phased out over a transitional period running until 30 September 2011. Under the regulations:

• Workers retire when they are ready to, enforced retirement will only be possible if it is objectively justified.
• You must avoid discriminating against all workers on the grounds of age.
• This legislation is applicable to all employers and all company sizes and sectors.

These changes do not affect an employee’s state pension age and entitlements, which may well be separate from the age at which they retire.

Children and Families Act 2014

Provisions in Part 7 of the Act create a new employment right to shared parental leave and statutory shared parental pay for eligible working parents. Women continue to be eligible for maternity leave and statutory maternity pay or allowance in the same way as previously. If they choose to bring their leave and pay or allowance to an early end, eligible working parents can share up to the balance of the remaining leave and payas shared parental leave and pay. Eligible adopters can use the new system for shared parental leave and pay. Adoption leave and pay include prospective parents in the “Fostering for Adoption” system, and parents in a surrogacy arrangement who are eligible, and intend to apply, for a parental order.

Part 8 creates a new right for employees and qualifying agency workers to take unpaid time off work to attend up to two ante-natal appointments with a pregnant woman. The right is available to the pregnant woman’s husband, civil partner or partner, the father or parent of the pregnant woman’s child, and intended parents in asurrogacy situation who meet specified conditions.

Provision is made for paid and unpaid time off work for adopters to attend meeting s in advance of a child being placed with them for adoption.

Part 9 provides for the expansion of the right to request flexible working from employees who are parents or carers to all employees, and the removal of the statutory process that employers must currently follow when considering requests for flexible working. Changes enable employers to consider requests using their existing HR processes instead of having to follow a statutory procedure.

Work and Families Act 2006
The Act’s main purposes are to:

• extend the maximum period that may be prescribed in regulations as the period for which statutory maternity pay, maternity allowance and statutory adoption pay are payable from 26 weeks to 52 weeks;
• introduce a new scheme that will provide certain employees (generally fathers) with a new entitlement to take leave to care for a child and a new entitlement to receive pay while they are on leave, if certain conditions are met;
• widen the scope of the existing law on flexible working to enable more people with caring responsibilities to request to work flexibly

The Shared Parental Leave Regulations 2014
The Shared Parental Leave Regulations 2014 (“the Leave Regulations”) and the Statutory Shared Parental Pay (General) Regulations 2014 (“the Pay Regulations”) provide an entitlement for a mother/adopter and a child’s father/adoptive parent or a mother’s or adopter’s partner to take shared parental leave and pay. The right to shared parental leave and statutory shared parental pay are new statutory rights for employees with a partner who is working, or has recently been working (whether employed or self-employed). Eligible employees will be able to share up to 50 weeks of shared parental leave and up to 37 weeks of statutory shared parental pay.

This Equality & Diversity Policy can be downloaded here.