The new UK government has promised an end-to-end review of the parental leave system. This review will feature a comprehensive look at paternity leave. This decision is a welcome announcement to mounting concerns by stakeholders. They say the current paternity leave provisions are the worst in the developed world and riddled with basic flaws. The review process will likely last about 1.5 years.
Currently, statutory paternity leave allows most new fathers and second parents in the UK to take up to two weeks off work. This negative housing policy began back in 2003. Advocates have made it clear that it deserves a big yawn for leaving out key provisions included in other European countries. George Gabriel, co-founder of The Dad Shift campaign, was over the moon that the government has ⬇️ He also pointed out the flaws with the status quo. He noted that paternity leave is “groundbreaking but least generous in Europe.”
Even with statutory leave in place, participation rates are low. This is a significant blow for fathers and partners. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds recently shared that one in three fathers take no paternity leave at all. He said he blamed this challenge on money limitations. He highlighted that fathers are ineligible for statutory paternity leave and pay if they are self-employed or earn under £125 a week. Eligible fathers earn £187.18 a week, or 90 percent of their average earnings, whichever is lower, while they take their two weeks off. This figure is below 50% of the National Living Wage, which has raised concerns about whether this rate is sufficient.
In a separate discussion, Reynolds expanded on the overarching issue, calling the current system of paternity leave “super confusing.” He stressed the promise for modernization, referring to campaigners’ calls that it has been “neglected for decades.” The government understood a very real problem: many dads are not able to take paternity leave due to the financial burden. Indeed, a third of dads say it’s just financially impossible for them to take time away from work.
Rachel Grocott, chief executive of the Pregnant Then Screwed charity, called making paternity leave easier a “no-brainer”. She argued that improving these provisions could significantly contribute to closing the gender pay gap and ensuring children receive the best possible start in life. Shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith tweeted his concerns. He worries that saddling small businesses with new costs for paternity leave might force small businesses to lay off the employees. He emphasized that “if you’ve no job in the first place it doesn’t matter how much family leave you get.”
At the same time, the government is undertaking a wider review of the parental leave system. This rule comes after increasing calls to address gaps in gender equity and acknowledge changing family dynamics. Gabriel called the proposal ambitious and said he was looking forward to seeing big changes in the future.
“It is a bold step forward,” – George Gabriel, co-founder of The Dad Shift campaign.
As the review unfolds, stakeholders from all sides—the public, industry, environmental organizations—will be watching closely to see where this process is heading. To get major reform passed which puts the UK on a path to a fairer, more supportive paternity leave system.
