Shared parental leave ‘failing working families’

3 in 5 fathers (63.7%) took two weeks or less paternity leave following the birth of their most recent child

Less than a third (29%) of fathers reported being able to access enhanced paternity leave pay around the birth of their most recent child

Half (48.3%) of fathers who had access to enhanced paternity pay were still only able to take two weeks o... 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

In short, it’s possible for employees to be better fathers and better partners while also being inspiring leaders. The fathers we spoke with unanimously agreed that the upsides of improving relationships or prioritizing family more than outweigh the risks of slowing down their careers. All of them said that they would take paternity leave again, an... See more

What I am saying is that the current system prevents many mothers from leaving their paid work to care for their own kids, and for those who want to work and continue their careers during pregnancy and early motherhood, they encounter unnecessary and impossible challenges. In both situations, women are disproportionately affected by a labour market

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I didn’t know any other dads taking SPL so there was no one to talk to about the experience I was having, other than my wife. When people found out I was taking SPL there were some raised eyebrows. Some people thought my wife was super generous to share leave which added to the stigma. It was challenging walking into a baby club and being the only ... See more