Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

PaternityHR practice

Are the government’s proposals to extend paternity leave good for business in the UK?

by Personnel Today 1 Nov 2005
by Personnel Today 1 Nov 2005

A step forwards

Nicky Blatch
HR director, Ford Retail

The government is to announce that new fathers should have the right to six months unpaid paternity leave. Is it enough? With research showing that most men won’t take up the offer of paternity leave without pay – but a dramatic amount would if the payments increased – surely the new guidelines are an empty offer in an area of inequality?

The shift in parental responsibilities is such that the offer of parental leave for fathers is a great move towards ensuring that it is not considered the domain of the woman. Up until now it has been traditional for a woman to put her career on hold to support the formative months of a newborn child’s life. Fathers are keen to be present during this period. However, being the main breadwinner or not having the chance to take extended leave at this time means that they can miss out.

The new guidelines are a gentle offering that shouldn’t shake employers too much. The take-up as the guidelines stand at this stage is unlikely to be high. If managed well they could be a great opportunity for businesses to be seen to embrace the essence of the bill and to support their workforce at this valuable time in their lives.

In the corporate world, will this stop employers falling into the trap of wondering how long they have with a new female recruit before she leaves to have a baby? Will it encourage employers to ensure that women get as many opportunities to be developed and supported through their careers as men? Will it incentivise employers to do more to encourage female employees to return after extended time off?

It will probably help to slowly change the perceptions that we hope are outdated but are actually rife within industry.

Much more is needed to get employers to realise that both men and women must be treated fairly in the workplace and have the opportunity to provide equal support at home.

Too much too soon

David Frost
Director general, British Chambers of Commerce

While the government has vigorously promoted the family friendly agenda, employers have been less enthusiastic. Owners of small firms in particular have expressed deep concerns about the consequences that extending legislation would have on their businesses. The simple problem is that employers could face losing staff, both men and women, for long periods.

It is proposed to extend paternity leave and to extend the right to request flexible working to carers and parents with children aged up to 17.

A British Chambers of Commerce employment survey last year found two-thirds of the 1,200 employers surveyed opposed extending flexible working and 80% opposed increasing maternity leave to 12 months. Opposition grew as the business size got smaller.

Our members, who employ more than 5 million people, understand the need for flexibility. The DTI’s own figures show that employers have accommodated more than 80% of flexible working requests received from their staff. However, the fear is that these latest changes are too much, too soon, and they will come into force at a time when our firms are under immense pressure.

Employers are rightly concerned that these changes will undermine their ability to manage staff working patterns in a way that meets the needs of their business. There are also growing concerns that there will be unrest between those that do and do not have children.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

The government must recognise that the UK economic climate is worsening and our businesses need support rather than more layers of costly employment legislation.

While maternity and flexible working rights are important in the workplace, these rights must be balanced against employers’ needs to manage their businesses effectively.

Personnel Today

Personnel Today articles are written by an expert team of award-winning journalists who have been covering HR and L&D for many years. Some of our content is attributed to "Personnel Today" for a number of reasons, including: when numerous authors are associated with writing or editing a piece; or when the author is unknown (particularly for older articles).

previous post
Insurer outsources processing to Indian IT firm
next post
Swansea Council delays IT outsourcing deal for second time

You may also like

Government launches ‘landmark’ review of parental leave

1 Jul 2025

Reforming paternity leave could benefit UK by £13bn...

30 Jun 2025

With HR absence rising, is your people team...

24 Jun 2025

Parental leave system is ‘broken’, say MPs

10 Jun 2025

April 2025: What’s coming up for HR?

21 Mar 2025

What do HR specialists enjoy most about their...

21 Mar 2025

MP urges rethink on ‘ladies do babies’ approach...

6 Mar 2025

New neonatal care leave rules will help 60,000...

6 Feb 2025

Employers taking action on sick pay and parental...

20 Dec 2024

Baby steps: Neonatal care leave and pay 

20 Dec 2024

  • Empower and engage for the future: A revolution in talent development (webinar) WEBINAR | As organisations strive...Read more
  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+