The UK has the least generous paternity leave entitlement in Europe. Currently, the statutory entitlement to paternity leave is two weeks and the weekly rate for paternity pay is £172 a week, which is 44% of the national living wage. Shockingly, new survey data reveals that for 1 in 5 (20%) dads, no parental leave options were available to them... See more

New research uncovers economic and health benefits of boosting paternity

leave

Countries with more than six weeks of paid paternity leave have a 4% smaller

gender wage gap and 3.7% smaller labour force participation gap

Closing gender employment gaps in all UK authorities would increase economic

output by £23 billion

Just 18% of Brits think 2 weeks... See more

The length of leave taken by parents is closely tied to statutory entitlement, regardless of income. Changing this entitlement could therefore have a strong influence on behaviour, and this new research has shown there is broad public support for increasing paternity entitlement. Just 18% of Brits felt that two weeks of paternity leave is long... See more

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... See more

Joeli Brearley CEO and Founder of Pregnant Then Screwed comments, “Paternity leave isn’t a break from work, it isn’t a holiday – it is crucial bonding time. We know that paternity leave has huge benefits for the whole family: children do better in the education system, and there is research to suggest they have better physical health. Paternity... See more