More than half of the UK’s new fathers do not take the full paternity leave they are legally entitled to, a survey has found.
Out of the 1,078 fathers polled, 48% said financial considerations were a key reason for staying at work. New fathers are entitled up to two weeks paid paternity leave at a rate of £108.85 a week.
Unsympathetic bosses were a major factor stopping new fathers taking the full time, with a fifth claiming their employees were needed back at work “urgently”.
Just over a third take the period allocated to them by their employers to spend time with their new baby and 58% take less than a week off, according to the survey by YouGov for savings firm ING Direct.
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Most employers offer an average of three weeks leave, according to the survey.
Work responsibilities were also seen as a deterrent, with one in 10 saying they feared their career would suffer if they took too much time off. One in eight said their employer was not parent friendly.
