Daily Junction.mobi portalNews · April 12, 2024 · Daily Junction Editorial Team · 10 min
Landmark reforms to UK parental leave come into force in April 2024, extending paternity leave from two weeks to six weeks and overhauling the failed shared parental leave system. The changes aim to reduce gender inequality, improve child development outcomes, and bring the UK closer to European standards, though campaigners say they don't go far enough.
The UK has taken a significant step toward gender equality and better outcomes for children with landmark reforms to parental leave that came into force in April 2024. Paternity leave has been extended from two weeks to six weeks, with the first two weeks paid at 90% of earnings, and the Shared Parental Leave system has been overhauled with simpler rules and higher pay to encourage fathers to take a more active role in early childcare.
The changes, which follow years of campaigning by equality groups and unions, aim to reduce the "motherhood penalty"—the career and earnings damage women suffer from taking time off to care for children—and to improve child development by enabling both parents to bond with their baby. However, the UK still lags far behind European leaders like Sweden, Germany, and Iceland, where parental leave is longer, better paid, and more equally shared.
The Parental Leave and Pay Regulations 2024, which came into force on 1 April 2024, introduce three major changes:
Paternity leave has been extended from 2 weeks to 6 weeks, with improved pay:
Fathers and partners can take the leave in one block of 6 weeks or two blocks of 3 weeks, providing more flexibility. Leave must be taken within 12 months of the birth or adoption.
An estimated 400,000 fathers per year will benefit from the change. For a father earning the median salary of £33,000 (£635 per week), the first two weeks will now be paid at £572 per week instead of £184, a difference of £776 over the extended leave period.
Shared Parental Leave (SPL), introduced in 2015, has been widely seen as a failure. Only 2% of eligible fathers took SPL between 2015 and 2023, due to low pay (statutory rate of £184.03 per week for all but the first six weeks), complexity, and workplace culture barriers.
The reformed system, effective April 2024, makes SPL more attractive:
The government estimates that the reforms will increase SPL take-up from 2% to 25% of eligible fathers within five years.
A new category of leave has been created for parents of babies requiring neonatal care. Parents can take up to 12 weeks of paid neonatal leave if their baby is admitted to neonatal care within 28 days of birth and remains there for at least 7 continuous days. This is in addition to maternity, paternity, and shared parental leave.
Neonatal leave is paid at 90% of earnings for the first 6 weeks, then at statutory rate. An estimated 60,000 families per year will be eligible (based on NHS neonatal admission data).
The UK's parental leave system has long been criticised as outdated, gendered, and inadequate. Mothers are entitled to 52 weeks of maternity leave (39 weeks paid), but fathers get just 2 weeks of paternity leave, reinforcing the assumption that childcare is primarily a mother's responsibility.
This has profound consequences:
For mothers: The "motherhood penalty" is well-documented. Women who take maternity leave earn 33% less than women without children by the time their first child is 12 (Institute for Fiscal Studies, 2024). They are more likely to work part-time, in lower-paid roles, and to miss out on promotions. Lifetime earnings are reduced by an average of £140,000 per child (Fawcett Society, 2024).
For fathers: Short paternity leave prevents fathers from bonding with their babies and taking on equal caring responsibilities. Research shows that fathers who take longer leave are more involved in childcare throughout childhood, leading to better outcomes for children and more equal partnerships (Fatherhood Institute, 2023).
For children: Parental leave improves child development. Babies whose fathers take leave have better cognitive and social outcomes, lower rates of behavioural problems, and stronger attachment (UCL Institute of Education, 2024). Longer leave also supports breastfeeding, which has health benefits for both mother and baby.
For employers: High-quality parental leave reduces staff turnover and improves productivity. Mothers are more likely to return to work after maternity leave if their partner can share caring responsibilities, and fathers who take leave report higher job satisfaction and loyalty (CIPD, 2024).
Shared Parental Leave was introduced in 2015 with the aim of enabling parents to share leave more equally. It allows mothers to transfer part of their maternity leave and pay to their partner, creating up to 50 weeks of shareable leave (37 weeks paid).
In practice, SPL has been a spectacular failure. Take-up has never exceeded 2% of eligible fathers (Department for Business and Trade, 2023). The reasons are clear:
Low pay: After the first six weeks of maternity leave (paid at 90% of earnings), SPL is paid at the statutory rate of £184.03 per week—equivalent to £9,569 per year. For most families, this is far below the father's salary, making it financially unviable to lose the higher earner's income. A father earning £40,000 would lose £30,000 by taking six months of SPL.
Complexity: The SPL system is notoriously complicated. Parents must navigate overlapping eligibility criteria, give eight weeks' notice of leave dates, and coordinate with employers. Many parents are unaware of their rights, and employers often lack understanding of the rules.
Workplace culture: Despite legal protections, many fathers face hostility or career damage for taking SPL. A Fatherhood Institute survey (2023) found that 30% of fathers who requested SPL reported negative reactions from managers, and 15% believed it harmed their career progression. In male-dominated industries, taking extended leave is seen as uncommitted or unambitious.
Gender pay gap: Because men earn more than women on average (13.9% median pay gap, ONS 2024), it makes financial sense for mothers to take leave rather than fathers. This reinforces gender inequality in a vicious cycle.
The 2024 reforms address the pay issue by increasing SPL pay to 90% for the first 12 weeks, making it affordable for more families. However, cultural barriers and the gender pay gap remain.
The UK's parental leave system, even after the 2024 reforms, is less generous than most European countries.
Sweden offers 480 days (16 months) of parental leave per child, paid at 80% of earnings (capped at SEK 1,145 per day, approximately £85). 90 days are reserved for each parent (use-it-or-lose-it), encouraging equal sharing. Fathers take an average of 30% of total leave, the highest rate in the world.
Germany provides 14 months of parental leave at 67% of earnings (capped at €1,800 per month). Two months are reserved for the second parent, incentivising fathers to take leave. 44% of fathers take parental leave, averaging 3.7 months.
Iceland offers 12 months of leave, with 3 months reserved for each parent and 3 months shareable. Leave is paid at 80% of earnings (capped at ISK 600,000 per month, approximately £3,400). 90% of fathers take their full entitlement.
France provides 6 months of maternity leave at full pay (for public sector workers) or 16 weeks at 90% (private sector), plus 28 days of paternity leave at 90% (extended to 32 weeks for fathers of multiples). Shared parental leave is available but rarely used.
Norway offers 49 weeks at 100% pay or 59 weeks at 80% pay, with 15 weeks reserved for each parent. 70% of fathers take parental leave.
The UK's 6 weeks of paternity leave at 90% pay is an improvement, but it is far short of the 3-6 months offered in Nordic countries. The UK also lacks the "use-it-or-lose-it" provisions that drive high male take-up in Sweden and Iceland.
Investing in parental leave pays for itself. The Women's Budget Group (2024) estimates that extending paternity leave to 6 months at 90% pay would cost £2.5 billion per year, but would generate:
The net benefit to the economy would be £3 billion per year. Longer-term benefits include reduced gender pay gap, improved child outcomes (reducing future spending on education, health, and criminal justice), and higher birth rates (countries with generous parental leave have higher fertility).
Equality groups have welcomed the reforms but argue they do not go far enough.
Maternity Action called the changes "a step in the right direction" but criticised the lack of ring-fenced leave for fathers. "Without use-it-or-lose-it provisions, most families will still default to mothers taking the majority of leave due to the gender pay gap and cultural expectations," said director Joeli Brearley.
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