Shared Parental Leave is Failing to Deliver for Dads | Blog | Mix Diversity

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

Our work demonstrates that this policy, although conceptually desirable, in practice has not changed decisions of an average household with regards to who is the primary caregiver of the child in their first year of life. This is an important finding, particularly in a society that seeks to reduce gender inequalities at work and in which parents ar... 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

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

Whilst some employers are offering enhanced pay to mothers and fathers/partners, the enhanced pay provisions for partners generally reflects those of the mothers - for example, full pay for the first four months after the birth. More often than not, the mother is not going to give up leave within the first few months from birth and is therefore pre... See more