Shared parental leave ‘failing working families’

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In response to the notion that Dads and partners are able to access the Shared Parental Leave scheme should they wish to spend longer with their new children Joeli adds, “Shared Parental Leave has failed on almost every measure set by the Government. In addition, the scheme is fundamentally flawed. It is not shared parental leave at all, it is shar... See more

Joeli Brearley • 70% OF DADS WHO DIDN’T TAKE THEIR FULL PATERNITY LEAVE ENTITLEMENT HAD TO CUT IT SHORT DUE TO COST - Pregnant Then Screwed

I would have loved to take more than two weeks off with my kids, but the reality is we just couldn’t afford it. As the main breadwinner, cutting my income down to statutory pay after two weeks would have meant struggling to pay the mortgage. Shared Parental Leave only works if both parents’ employers offer generous pay, which isn’t the case for mos... See more

Dr Ezgi Kaya • Shared Parental Leave fails to deliver for dads

Jasmine Kelland, associate professor in HRM at the University of Plymouth, highlighted the barriers fathers faced trying to access leave that “aren’t widely discussed” and had been “perpetuated for years despite so much societal change”.

“Much of UK society still associates fatherhood with breadwinning behaviours, and when fathers access workplace ... See more

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

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 lea... See more

Joeli Brearley • 70% OF DADS WHO DIDN’T TAKE THEIR FULL PATERNITY LEAVE ENTITLEMENT HAD TO CUT IT SHORT DUE TO COST - Pregnant Then Screwed

The research found that fewer than one in five (18%) prospective parents say they or their partner could afford to take six weeks of paternity leave at the current statutory rate of pay. By contrast, 57% of prospective parents said they or their partner could afford to take six weeks of paternity leave if it was paid at 90% of their income, as stat... See more

Joeli Brearley • Boosting paternity leave has economic benefits - Pregnant Then Screwed

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 fol... See more