Daily Junction.mobi portalThe Fatherhood Institute praised the extension of paternity leave but called for six months at 90% pay to match Nordic countries. "Six weeks is better than two, but it's not enough to shift the dial on gender equality or enable fathers to be equal carers," said CEO Mark Williams.
The TUC highlighted the need for stronger enforcement. "Legal rights are meaningless if fathers face career penalties for taking leave. We need cultural change, backed by penalties for employers who discriminate," said General Secretary Paul Nowak.
Working Families, a charity supporting working parents, called for the reforms to be extended to self-employed parents, who currently have no access to paternity or shared parental leave. "One in seven workers is self-employed, and they are excluded from these rights entirely. That's unacceptable," said CEO Jane van Zyl.
Employers have had mixed reactions. Large employers, particularly in the public sector and professional services, have generally welcomed the reforms and already offer enhanced parental leave (e.g., six months at full pay). For them, the statutory changes level the playing field and reduce the competitive advantage of more generous employers.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have raised concerns about the cost and administrative burden. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) warned that the reforms could make it harder for small employers to cover absent staff, particularly in sectors with skills shortages. However, the government reimburses employers for statutory pay, so the direct cost is limited to covering the absent employee's work.
Some employers have reported increased requests for paternity and shared parental leave since the reforms were announced, suggesting that higher pay and simpler rules are already changing behaviour.
The 2024 reforms are a significant improvement, but gaps remain:
1. Ring-fenced leave for fathers: Without use-it-or-lose-it provisions, most families will continue to default to mothers taking the majority of leave. Reserving 3-6 months exclusively for fathers, as in Sweden and Iceland, would drive cultural change.
2. Higher pay for longer: Six weeks at 90% pay is better than two, but it's not enough to enable fathers to be equal carers. Extending 90% pay to six months would bring the UK in line with Nordic standards.
3. Rights for self-employed parents: Self-employed parents have no access to paternity or shared parental leave, only Maternity Allowance (£184.03 per week for 39 weeks). Extending rights to the self-employed would support the 5 million self-employed workers in the UK.
4. Stronger enforcement: Legal rights are meaningless if fathers face career penalties. The government should introduce penalties for employers who discriminate against parents taking leave, and require large employers to publish data on parental leave take-up by gender.
5. Cultural change: Laws alone will not shift deeply ingrained norms. Public campaigns, role modelling by senior leaders, and education about the benefits of shared parenting are needed to normalise fathers taking extended leave.
From April 2024, UK fathers can take 6 weeks of paternity leave (up from 2 weeks), with the first 2 weeks paid at 90% of earnings. Shared Parental Leave has been reformed with 90% pay for the first 12 weeks (up from statutory rate) and simpler rules, aiming to increase take-up from 2% to 25% of eligible fathers. The reforms will benefit 400,000 fathers per year and aim to reduce the motherhood penalty (women with children earn 33% less than women without). However, the UK still lags behind Sweden (16 months at 80%), Germany (14 months at 67%), and Iceland (12 months at 80%). Campaigners call for ring-fenced leave for fathers, six months at 90% pay, and rights for self-employed parents. The economic case is strong: extending paternity leave to six months would cost £2.5 billion but generate £3 billion in net benefits from higher maternal employment, reduced welfare spending, and productivity gains.