According to a report published by the CIPD, which surveyed 2,000 senior HR decision-makers, almost half (46%) of employers are in support of extending statutory paternity/partner leave and pay to assist parents with their out-of-work responsibilities and improve financial support.
The CIPD noted that since they last explored employer provision for parental leave in 2016 that little has changed or progressed.
The research found that:
- 33% of respondents stated that statutory paternity/partner leave and pay should be extended to four weeks. 29% indicated that it should be extended to six weeks or more.
- 49% of companies currently offer the statutory one to two weeks’ leave for fathers or partners. Further, the research showed:
- 3% of respondents allow three weeks’ leave;
- 9% offer four weeks’ leave; and
- 13% implement between five and 28 weeks.
In respect of maternity pay policies, the report indicated that:
- 33% of organisations only offer a statutory minimum;
- 18% offer between four and 13 weeks of enhanced maternity pay at or close to the full rate of earnings; and
- 21% offer 26 weeks of enhanced pay followed by 13 weeks at the statutory rate or 90% of average weekly earnings.
- The use of shared parental leave has not increased, 85% of companies have seen no new fathers or partners actually use shared parental leave within the last two years.
Senior Policy Adviser at the CIPD, Claire McCartney, commented on the report:
“We last explored organisational approaches to parental leave in 2016 and since then, surprisingly, very little has changed in employer practice. Our research suggests that shared parental leave in its current form isn’t working; take-up continues to be very low, and we have seen a downward trend since 2016.
These survey findings reinforce our policy call to extend statutory paternity/ partner leave and pay, which will help balance caring responsibilities, reflect the changing nature of modern families, and provide much-needed financial support to working parents. Extended paternity/ partner leave can have emotional benefits for parents and children, as well as improving the gender pay gap, as it enables a more equal split of time out of work to care for children.”
Calls for the UK Government to do more
The CIPD has recommended that the UK Government:
- Deliver a better balance and choice over sharing caring responsibilities and reflects the changing nature of modern family life by increasing the statutory paternity/partner provision to six weeks at or close to the full rate of earnings.
- Provide access to affordable childcare, if this is an option then parents will be more willing to return to work sooner.
- As previously suggested by many, provide workers with the legal right to make a flexible working request from day one of their employment. The CIPD has also called on the Government to reconsider the law that workers can only make a flexible working request every 12 months.
What should I be doing as an employer?
Although these are only recommendations at this stage, it is advisable that employers review existing parental leave policies to ensure that they reflect modern parenting practices.
By reviewing and then, if necessary, updating family-friendly policies, employers will ensure that workers know what is expected of them if they want to take parental leave and what their rights are.
It will be relevant to employee retention to offer competitive terms around parental leave and rights or employers will face losing staff over it.
How can we help?
Laura Kearsley is a Partner in our expert Employment Law team.
If you would like any advice in relation to the subjects discussed in this article, please contact Laura or another member of the team in Derby, Leicester, or Nottingham on 0800 024 1976 or via our online enquiry form.
contact us