Power to the parents (and carers) when it comes to paternity leave

This week saw hundreds of people take to the streets across the UK and Ireland. There was something a little different about the strikers. These demo dads are calling  for better parenity leave. The Government has said it will review paternity and shared parental leave, informed by the Women & Equalities Commission and their rigorous new report (report here). 

Paid paternity leave has not been adjusted since 2003 when it was introduced and one thing is clear: the current setup is outdated and unequal. It harms families and in the long term, is bad for business. 

The Reality

UK fathers get just two weeks of statutory paternity leave, paid at £187.18 per week or 90% of earnings—whichever is lower. That’s less than half the National Living Wage. If you're self-employed or earn under £123 a week, you're not eligible at all.

The UK is now one of the worst places in Europe and even much of the world for paternity leave. 

Image: Family leave entitlements: duration of earmarked leave and shareable leave entitlements in weeks, 2024.

Source: OECD Family database, indicator, PF2.1 

A Feminist and Family Issue

Paternity and parental leave is an issue that should unite thinking across the political spectrum. The lack of support for dads or ‘second’ parents reinforces the motherhood penalty, widens the gender pay gap, and pushes one partner away from family, leaving women or one partner disproportionately responsible for unpaid care and often choosing starkly between care and work. Parental support has huge benefits not just for gender equality, LGBT+ inclusion, but for the entire family. Who wouldn’t want a parent to have enough time to bond with their child and support their partner?

In some cases, the lack of paternity or parental leave is reckless. For example, for someone recovering from a C-section, the idea that their partner would have to return to work after just two weeks is outrageous. Many can barely walk, let alone care for themselves and a newborn alone.

Or imagine having to choose one parent in a gay relationship to be designated as the baby’s mother, eligible to full maternity leave while the other mother or parent would become a ‘secondary’ parent, getting very little time, if any and risk feeling pretty redundant. When you look at parental leave with same-sex families, it is stark how unequal it is. 

Employers are moving forward, but not fast enough

Some big employers are leading the way by offering Enhanced Parental Leave (EPL). For example:

• Deloitte offers 26 weeks of fully paid parental leave to all employees, regardless of gender.

• Aviva provides 12 months’ parental leave, with 26 weeks at full pay, equally for mothers and fathers.

• Spotify gives all parents six months of fully paid leave.

• Diageo, Unilever, and Santander also offer generous gender-neutral parental leave policies.

At the Unmistakables we’re proud to offer 12 months leave regardless of length of service or the way in which a team member is becoming a parent, because we value the time that a new parent can have with their child.

Many employers are also introducing miscarriage leave, flexible working, and support for carers. But this level of support is still a luxury of large organisations. Most families, especially those working for small businesses or self-employed, are left behind.

The ask of the Government is to:

• Raise paternity pay to match maternity pay (90% of earnings for six weeks).

• Extend leave to six weeks as a minimum standard.

• Create a Paternity Allowance for self-employed parents.

• Include kinship carers, single parents, and low earners in reforms.

Parental leave is not a perk—it’s a necessity. Reforming it is key to gender equality, LGBT+ inclusion, workplace wellbeing, better business and stronger family life. 

If you would like help reviewing your parental policies, just get in touch.