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.
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.
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