Fewer than half (45%) ‘top tier’ UK employers offer their staff equal amounts of fully paid parental leave, regardless of gender.
A survey of 270 organisations providing the most generous maternity and paternity policies in the country also revealed that 62% offer fathers a minimum of six weeks at full pay, indicating that this provision is becoming a standard level of leave among progressive businesses.
Released to coincide with the launch of the Inspiring Dads Parental Leave Database today (30 September), the research found that 55% offered non-equal policies.
Further analysis by the Fatherhood Institute showed the average length of leave for mothers at 22.7 weeks, compared to just 4.9 weeks for fathers.
Parental leave
Deloitte equalises paid parental leave
In several of these companies, the gap between the number of fully paid weeks of leave available to men and women is wider than six months.
Additionally, 78% of the “non-equal” employers do not offer their enhanced maternity provisions for fathers or second parents taking shared parental leave, which is the primary cause of low uptake.
Ian Dinwiddy, creator of the Inspiring Dads database, said: “Fully paid, extended parental leave is a powerful tool to improve gender equality at home and at work. It creates opportunities and choice for families and shouldn’t just be a benefit available to those working for progressive employers.
“Breaking the two-tier system requires both legislative change and benchmarking pressure on organisations that seek to retain existing staff and attract prospective employees.”
Employers featured in the new database represent the top tier of a new, two-tier system which has recently emerged, in which those simply following the statutory requirements are classed as ‘second tier’, according to the fatherhood support organisation.
Dr Jeremy Davies, deputy CEO at the Fatherhood Institute, which is campaigning for the government to improve the UK’s statutory paternity offer, said: “Even when working for ‘top tier’ employers, dads are cast as the secondary parent. What we really need is a statutory system that does more to close the gap between mothers’ and fathers’ entitlements.
“Fathers having time to bond and care for their children shouldn’t be down to the generosity of individual employers – this opportunity should be available and affordable for all dads and second parents.”
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