It’s generally accepted that the first few weeks of a new baby’s life are a crucial time for the whole family. The more time both parents spend with their newborn, the better it is for everyone concerned. Paternity leave is an essential ingredient in forming lasting family bonds.
So it is worrying that, according to several studies, many new dads are still back at work within days of their baby’s arrival. The most recent – a study by the TUC published in June – found that one in four men who became new fathers in 2016 were not entitled to any paternity leave at all, and were forced to head into work within days – or even hours – of the birth of their child.
Paternity leave loopholes
Most men are currently entitled to up to two weeks’ statutory paternity pay and statutory paternity leave, but the study found that over 150,000 new dads fell through gaps in the legislation. Self-employed men were most at risk, receiving no statutory paternity allowance at all.
Another 44,000 new dads didn’t get paid paternity leave because they had not been working for their employer long enough.
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “It’s really important for dads to be able to spend time at home with their families when they have a new baby.
“But too many fathers are missing out because they don’t qualify – or because they can’t afford to use their leave.”
So is it that men don’t really want to be involved in the messy, sleep-deprived early days of a child’s life? Do we scurry back to work as soon as possible, grateful for the break from nappy changing and midnight feeds?
Are dads too desperate to work?
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One option to help dads spend more time with their new borns is shared parental leave (SPL), which allows parents to split up to 52 weeks off between them, as well as up to 39 weeks of statutory shared parental pay.
But research released last year found that, in the 12 months since the introduction of SPL, only 1% of men had taken up the opportunity.
So is it that men don’t really want to be involved in the messy, sleep-deprived early days of a child’s life? Do we scurry back to work as soon as possible, grateful for the break from nappy changing and midnight feeds?
Quite the opposite. Evidence shows that most new dads would like to spend lots of quality time with their families in the weeks after childbirth, and take a full part in the early trials of parenting. The sad truth is that, for many men, the odds are still stacked against their full involvement in the care of their new born baby, with financial and career considerations being the main reason for the low take-up of SPL.
The SPL research, for My Family Care and the Women’s Business Council, found that although only 1% of men were taking SPL now, 63% would like to do so in the future. One barrier to take up was that 50% of men thought taking SPL would damage their careers.
Another was that 55% of the women surveyed said they didn’t want to share their parental leave. They wanted as much time as possible to bond with their babies.
You can’t really blame mums for that, so perhaps SPL is not a magic bullet when it comes to getting more men to take significant chunks of time off when their babies are born. So what is the answer?
Extend paternity leave?
Working Families, a charity that advocates for the rights of working parents, believes the gaps in current legislation need to be closed.
“We need a level playing field on parental rights and pay – between those classified as ‘workers’, ‘employees’ and ‘self-employed’,” says the organisation’s Julia Waltham.
“But even if all fathers received paternity pay, it often isn’t enough. Employers who can afford to enhance it should be encouraged to do so – to give fathers the best chance of being there during those crucial first weeks.”
Before the election in June, the Liberal Democrats called for statutory paternity leave to be extended to a month, saying: “Research shows that fathers being more involved in their children’s lives is good for children’s development and good for the health and happiness of the whole family.”
What is clear is that current legislation, even if well intended, is not doing enough to allow men to be more present during the crucial early weeks and months of a child’s life. Society has accepted that involved dads are good for children and families. Now it needs to provide paternity leave that promotes the important contribution made by dads right from the very start.
Tell is about your experiences. Did you take paternity leave, and was it enough? What effect did your decision on taking time off have on your family and the bond with your child?
