Shared parental leave ‘failing working families’

The Department for Business and Trade recently published their report evaluating whether the SPL scheme has achieved its original objectives (the ‘Report’). The long-awaited Report has revealed that only 1% of eligible mothers and 5% of eligible fathers and partners have taken up SPL. HMRC data shows that those in receipt of Shared Parental Pay has... See more

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

“Going into the project, we knew that gender inequalities in the UK labour market widen drastically when the first child arrives in a home. While other issues clearly affect workplace gender disparities, motherhood is statistically important and marks the moment at which a significant gap emerges. This gap then persists for women throughout their c... See more

Paternity leave can level the playing field for working mothers. Many fathers emerged from the experience feeling like “being at home, with a strong presence of mind, allowed me to reduce stress on my wife and for her to return to the workforce earlier.” As one father put it, “It’s not just about getting to know your kids at a crucial age but also ... See more

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