Pregnant employees’ partners are entitled to take two weeks’ ordinary paternity leave provided that they have the required continuous service.
Shared parental leave enables mothers to commit to ending their maternity leave and pay at a future date, and to share the untaken balance of leave and pay as shared parental leave and pay with their partner.
Paternity leave is becoming increasingly popular across the UK, according to the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC)
While the number of mothers taking their full maternity leave entitlement is rising, only 36% of fathers take more than two weeks paternity leave
Sarah Keeble, employment partner, Olswang
A new Department of Trade and Industry consultation on paternity leave and pay published today focuses on giving working parents the right to choose who cares for a child in their first year of life
Finding good quality, affordable childcare can be one of the biggest challenges facing parents, but employers could be doing a lot more to lessen the hassle and ease the financial burden on staff, the TUC said today
Three-quarters of small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in the UK believe that maternity and paternity leave is not a problematic issue for their company, according to new research
More than half of the UK’s male employees would take advantage of proposed changes in parental leave that would allow them to spend more time with their newborn babies, research shows
More than half the UK's male workers plan to take advantage of additonal paternity leave when it becomes available.
Many working fathers believe spending more time with their baby is a “career killer” and not financially viable, according to a new survey
Many new fathers are reportedly not getting the paternity leave to which they are entitled.
Following extensive consultation, the new Work and Families Bill has been published
For: Nicky Blatch, HR director, Ford Retail
Against: David Frost, director-general, British Chambers of Commerce
The government has today confirmed plans to give new fathers the right to take up to six months' paternity leave. Maternity pay will also increase to nine months, under the Work and Families Bill.
The government should include more financial support for new fathers, rather than extend unpaid paternity leave, if it wants to improve paternity leave take-up
Suggestions that the forthcoming Work and Families Bill will include a right to six months unpaid paternity leave have alarmed business leaders, who warn of an administrative nightmare
