Increasing leave for fathers in the first year of a newborn’s life could deliver net social benefits of up to £12.8billion annually, according to research by the University of Bath
Dads should be entitled to six weeks of well-paid paternity leave to improve gender equality and boost economic growth, a report says today.
Increasing leave for fathers in the first year of a newborn’s life could deliver net social benefits of up to £12.8billion annually, according to research by the University of Bath.
The study finds women’s employment drops by 15 percentage points around childbirth in the UK, while men’s work patterns remain unchanged. It says extending paternity leave benefits businesses including by improving staff retention, employee wellbeing and productivity.
Researchers said international evidence from Quebec, Sweden and Iceland shows that dedicated, well-paid leave for fathers leads to “greater sharing of care, earlier returns to work by mothers, and long-term equality gains”.
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Currently, fathers in the UK are entitled to just two weeks of leave, often poorly paid, leaving women to continue to shoulder most of the care burden after childbirth. Eligible dads receive £187.18 a week or 90% of average earnings, whichever is lower.
The University of Bath calls for six weeks’ flexible leave for fathers to be introduced, paid at 90% of average earnings (capped at £1,200 per week) and available from day one of employment.
A group of cross-party MPs earlier this month said the UK’s statutory parental leave system is “one of the worst in the developed world “. The Commons’ Women and Equalities Committee said ministers should consider upping paternity pay to 90% or more and paternity leave to six weeks under a phased approach.
Dr Joanna Clifton-Sprigg, from the Department of Economics at the University of Bath, said: “Fathers want to be more involved and mothers want to stay connected to work. The current system lets everyone down. We’re calling for a policy that matches what modern parents want. Six weeks of well-paid leave is a simple and cost-effective place to start.”
Dr Jeremy Davies, deputy chief executive at the Fatherhood Institute and head of its ‘six weeks for dads’ campaign, said: “The UK’s statutory paternity offer has been at the bottom of the international league table for far too long.
“This important new research confirms that the benefits of a better-designed system could be huge.”
A Government spokesman said: “This Government is committed to making sure parents receive the best possible support to balance their work and home lives as part of our Plan to Make Work Pay.
“We know the parental leave system needs to be improved and will be carrying out a review to ensure it best supports working families, and through our Employment Rights Bill we will remove the 26-week continuity of service requirement for paternity leave.”
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