Hardly any dads have used shared parental leave since scheme was introduced 10 years ago, research finds

Shared parental leave - part of a parenting leave system that’s now the worst in Europe for fathers - has officially failed. Many couples aren’t eligible for SPL in the first place; most of those who are can’t afford to use it; fathers can only take the leave if the mother gives up some of hers; and it’s unwieldy for employers to administer. Intern... See more

Although the introduction of SPL is certainly welcome, our study suggests that the devil is in the detail. The design of the policy as it stands does not change care-taking roles within an average household in the U.K.

“First and foremost, the financial terms are not that attractive. The low rate for Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) means shared leave often represents a significant reduction in earnings and, for many people, makes it unaffordable. This is exacerbated if the father is the family’s primary earner, or earns considerably more than the mother.”

“Th... See more

The study which used data from 40,000 households across the UK, found SPL has not affected the number of fathers taking leave, nor the length of leave they choose to take. The research compared families with children born before and after the SPL rollout and the results are clear – paternal leave uptake has not increased, and the leaves being taken... See more

A government review from 2023, external suggests almost half (45%) of all dads weren't even aware shared parental leave was an option.

And it was used in fewer than 2% of all births last year.