Shared Parental Leave is Failing to Deliver for Dads

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

Dr Joanna Clifton-Sprigg mixdiversity.com

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“From an employer perspective, I think it is important to equalise parental leave. By this, I mean that employers should ensure mums are not the sole focus of childcare policies – there should be a greater emphasis on joint parenthood.”

Dr Joanna Clifton-Sprigg • Shared Parental Leave is Failing to Deliver for Dads | Blog | Mix Diversity

Centre leave policies around both parents, not just mothers

“First and foremost, the financial terms are not that attractive. The low rate for Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) means shared leave often represents a significant reduction in earnings and, for many people, makes it unaffordable. This is exacerbated if the father is the family’s primary earner, or earns considerably more than the mother.”

“Th... See more

Dr Joanna Clifton-Sprigg • Shared Parental Leave is Failing to Deliver for Dads | Blog | Mix Diversity

Hard to take SPL when dad is the main breadwinner, even if income disparities are less of a concern for a family

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The increase in fathers' participation as a result of the Quebec Parental Leave Insurance Plan

2024 Study: Shared Parental Leave: Did it work?

Dr Joanna Clifton-Sprigg • Shared Parental Leave is Failing to Deliver for Dads | Blog | Mix Diversity

Positive impact in other OECD Countries

“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

Dr Joanna Clifton-Sprigg • Shared Parental Leave is Failing to Deliver for Dads | Blog | Mix Diversity

Motherhood marks the moment the wage gap significantly widens… One theory is that mothers are still the main caregiver when they enter back into the workforce

“The strict eligibility criteria do not help either. Both parents must be continuously employed by their employer for 41 weeks before their child’s birth. There is also an income threshold. Combined, these two factors shut a lot of families out.”

“Even if you are eligible and meet all the criteria, SPL can be hard to organise and arrange. It require... See more

Dr Joanna Clifton-Sprigg • Shared Parental Leave is Failing to Deliver for Dads | Blog | Mix Diversity

Eligibility and complexity to apply also discourage not just parents but employers from offering SPL

“Looking only at parents who are potentially eligible for SPL – i.e. both are working – our study revealed that, on average, there had been no significant increase in the number of new fathers taking up leave.”

“In a sense, that is not surprising, as a high proportion would have started taking some form of paternity leave when it was first introduce... See more

Dr Joanna Clifton-Sprigg • Shared Parental Leave is Failing to Deliver for Dads | Blog | Mix Diversity

Dads still not taking longer leave under SPL

“There are plenty of benefits to SPL. Aside from the benefits to children of both parents spending time with their newborns, from an employer and economic perspective, you want good employees to return to the workplace quickly. And you want a diverse workplace. A situation where women are primarily responsible for childcare and fathers do not take ... See more

Dr Joanna Clifton-Sprigg • Shared Parental Leave is Failing to Deliver for Dads | Blog | Mix Diversity

Less diversity in the workplace if only women can take leave for childcare