A government report on Shared Parental Leave reveals a low take-up by eligible parents

Less than 2 per cent of new fathers have benefitted from shared parental leave since the scheme was introduced 10 years ago, research by The Dad Shift has found.

While fathers do not go through the same physical strains as birth mothers (recognizing that some mothers have their children through adoption, surrogacy, etcetera), spending time at home to bond with their child and their partner is critical. Providing a longer paid-leave period, offering more flexibility in the timing of the leave period, or incr... See more

After fathers return from leave, many would love to stay just as involved in their children’s lives. Introducing more flexible work arrangements would allow employees, including men, to fulfill more of their family duties (for instance, arranging meetings around taking their children to school or providing time to attend doctor’s appointments).

Clar... See more

It depends heavily on the organization, and organizational support. And there’s a lot to do with perceptions of penalties. Fathers perceive that they’re going to be penalized in some way, shape, or form for taking leave. Workplace barriers to taking leave, and especially extended periods of leave, are still a real concern and still present a proble... See more