Government Urged to Revisit Parental Leave Laws

A coalition of academics and organisations has written to the government, demanding urgent reform of the UK’s parental leave laws. While ministers plan to make paternity leave for fathers a day one right, the same doesn’t apply to statutory pay.

The letter warns that without comprehensive changes, those who need support the most will continue to be excluded. Campaigners argue this will leave working families behind and reinforce outdated gender roles at home and in the workplace.

Below, we discuss the letter sent to the government in more detail and the benefits of reforming paternity leave entitlements. However, if you have any questions or believe your rights have been breached, contact us now for expert advice. Redmans Solicitors are employment law specialists. Following a brief chat, we can answer your queries and discuss your possible next steps.

To begin, simply:

Proposed Changes to Parental Leave Laws Miss the Mark

Under current legislation, statutory paternity pay in the UK is among the least generous in Europe. Parental leave laws provide up to two weeks of paid paternity leave for fathers who are eligible, but this is paid at the lower of £187.18 or 90% of one’s average weekly earnings, well below the minimum wage.

To make matters worse, it was revealed earlier this month that Labour’s employment rights bill proposal, while set to grant an estimated 30,000 new fathers the right to paternity leave from day one, fails to include statutory pay. Fathers will still need to meet minimum service requirements to qualify for paid parental leave.

Critics argue that this continued reliance on service length criteria excludes many fathers from crucial parental support, particularly those in precarious or part-time jobs.

Campaigners also point out that without statutory pay, the new leave rights are rendered useless for those who cannot afford unpaid leave. Consequently, they’ve called this a missed opportunity to modernise parental leave laws and create real change for families.

The Economic and Social Case for Reforming Paternity Leave

The shortfalls in current paternity entitlements have wide-reaching consequences, according to campaign groups such as Working Families, Pregnant Then Screwed, and The Dad Shift. Paid paternity leave being inadequate not only prevents many fathers from taking an active role in the early stages of their child’s life, but also deepens the career impact on mothers.

Joeli Brearley, founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, explained that paternity rights remain largely out of reach for lower-income families, leading to unequal access to time with newborns. The charity’s research supports this, revealing that 43% of fathers who returned to work early cited financial hardship as the main reason. If parental leave laws and entitlements were more inclusive and better funded, more fathers would likely share caregiving responsibilities from the start.

But that’s not all. Research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation found that increasing paternity pay could generate a £2.68 billion boost to the UK economy, for a net cost of just £220 million to the Treasury. Better support would allow more fathers to take time off, enabling mothers to return to work sooner, helping to reduce the gender pay gap and improve maternal mental health outcomes.

Alex Lloyd Hunter of The Dad Shift underscored this point, arguing that reforming paternity leave is essential to tackling the so-called “motherhood penalty” many women face. He described strengthening paternity rights as a “no-brainer,” highlighting that fathers who are more involved early on are healthier, less likely to experience relationship breakdowns, and more engaged in their children’s development over the long term.

International comparisons further highlight the UK’s shortcomings. Sweden and Norway offer well-paid, reserved paternity leave, boosting uptake and promoting a more equal share of childcare duties. Without similar reforms, the UK risks falling further behind its European peers.

Working Families Lead Renewed Calls to Reform Parental Leave Laws

With dissatisfaction growing surrounding the UK’s parental leave laws, Working Families has written to the Minister for Employment Rights. Along with 15 academics and 17 other organisations, the charity has demanded a wide-ranging review to overhaul the current system.

While the coalition, which includes the Trades Union Congress, Save the Children, and The Dad Shift, welcomes the government’s forthcoming parental leave review (expected to launch in July 2025), it urges the study’s scope to be expanded. The academics and organisations involved implore the government to reform critical areas, including:

  • Eligibility: Making both statutory paternity pay and leave a day one right for all parents, aligning the eligibility for pay with the entitlement to leave.
  • Pay: Increasing paid parental leave for fathers to ensure it reflects the cost of living and is affordable to all families.
  • Simplicity and Flexibility: Streamlining the parental leave system to make it more user-friendly and adaptable to families’ needs.

Several academics from the University of Bath signed the open letter, highlighting their take on the matter. One of the lead signatories was Professor Susan Milner, who argued that despite the wealth of evidence showcasing the shortcomings of current parental leave laws, little has been done to bring about meaningful change.

Professor Eleonora Fichera added to the discussion, explaining that the current shared parental leave policy hasn’t moved the needle. She revealed that since the policy’s introduction in 2015, the uptake and duration of leave by fathers haven’t improved.

Dr Joanna Clifton-Sprigg, another Bath academic, discussed this further, warning that change is essential to shift current parenting patterns. Without reform, mothers will keep taking extended leave, fathers miss bonding time, and employers struggle to meet family needs.

Our Final Thoughts

Societal expectations continue to evolve, and the law must keep pace. This call for reforms to parental leave laws isn’t trivial; it’s a matter of equality, economic sense, and legal progress.

The government must consider overhauling paternity leave, ensuring statutory entitlements are adequate and accessible to all who need them. Without such action, thousands of families, especially those with lower incomes, will continue to face barriers to shared caregiving.

The upcoming government review offers a vital opportunity to modernise the UK’s approach to parental leave. Whether the review delivers meaningful change remains to be seen. One thing’s for certain, though: the pressure for reform isn’t going away.

If you have any questions concerning your paternity entitlements, please get in touch with Redmans Solicitors now. You may have a simple query or believe your rights have been breached. Whatever the case, as employment law experts, we can provide the advice you desire.

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