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

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

After fathers return from leave, many would love to stay just as involved in their children’s lives. Introducing more flexible work arrangements would allow employees, including men, to fulfill more of their family duties (for instance, arranging meetings around taking their children to school or providing time to attend doctor’s appointments).

Clar... See more

The study findings are timely given the new Labour Government’s Manifesto commitment to reviewing the parental leave system within its first year in office. The previous Government’s own evaluation of SPL published last year, found that only 1% of eligible mothers and 5% of eligible fathers took it.

However, implementing such policies is not without challenges. There may be concerns about the cost implications or potential disruptions to workflow. There are also, of course, many employees who are not parents, and it is important to ensure that they are supported as well, designing policies so that periods of leave are well planned for and adeq... See more

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