Deloitte UK has announced that it is equalising parental leave, the first of the Big Four accounting firms to give fathers the same paternity pay as maternity pay for mothers.
The new policy of 26 weeks’ fully-paid family leave for all new parents will come into effect on 1 January 2025 and will be a day-one right. Paternity leave was previously four weeks on full pay.
The move comes as new YouGov research showed that family leave is a crucial consideration for employees, with 87% saying it is a major factor when choosing an employer and 85% saying it is key for staying put.
The Deloitte-commissioned research reveals the impact of unequal parental leave and inflexible work arrangements on working mothers’ career progression. More than half of working mothers (54%) said that if their partner had more parental leave, it would help them to progress in their career.
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An even higher number of working mothers (61%) said that if their partner had more flexibility in their role, it would help them to progress.
Fifty-seven per cent of working mothers say they have had to reduce working hours because of their co-parent’s workplace inflexibility, more than double the number of working fathers (25%) who said the same.
Jackie Henry, Deloitte managing partner for people and purpose, said: “These findings underscore the urgent need for employers to adopt policies that support all parents in balancing work and family responsibilities, ultimately fostering greater gender equality in the workplace.
“We know that equalising paid parenting leave for all parents is an important step in improving gender equality and in giving families the opportunity to share responsibility right from the early days of parenthood. This move demonstrates our ongoing commitment to greater equality in family responsibilities and will make Deloitte an even more family-friendly place to work.”
The research also revealed that 50% of working parents find it challenging to access information about paternity and maternity leave when job-hunting.
Other new measures introduced by Deloitte today include up to 12 weeks of additional paid leave for parents whose child requires neonatal care.
The firm is also increasing support for carers who can now take five days of paid leave per year and giving its people paid time off for fertility treatment.
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