Regulations allowing parents to share the care of their child in its first year come into force in the spring, and requests for leave can be submitted from today.

The government said as many as 285,000 working couples will be eligible to share parental leave from April.

Ministers said the changes in how maternity leave can be used will kick-start a “culture change” in workplaces, with the hope that fathers feel more confident in taking time off for childcare.

Under the rules, mothers will still take at least two weeks of maternity leave immediately after birth, but after that working couples can share up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay.

Acas chairman Brendan Barber said: “Shared parental leave will enable working parents to share maternity or adoption leave to allow both parents greater involvement with their child’s first year while employers have the potential to remain productive by agreeing new arrangements that works for their organisations.”