Less than 10% of new dads are taking more than their two weeks statutory leave – but employees can help change culture

Shared parental leave came into force in the UK last April with the ambitious aims of banishing the old assumption of the mother as the main carer, challenging the stigma of the stay-at-home dad and propelling more women into senior roles. But with less than 10% of new dads taking more than their two weeks’ statutory leave in 2014, there are still huge cultural barriers to overcome and businesses play a crucial role in facilitating that change.

Under the new arrangements introduced by the coalition government, parents can take up to 50 weeks off – shared between them – following the first two weeks after birth, and receive statutory pay. Parents have previously been able to share some parental leave, with the father allowed to take up to six months (unpaid except for statutory maternity pay if the mother returns to work) after the child reaches 20 weeks. But relatively few men have taken up the opportunity. A 2013 survey of 1,072 fathers by Opinion Matters showed that 40% of men chose not to take paternity leave.



Will the changes in the law lead to a new era of workplace equality? The Fatherhood Institute lobbied hard for the new legislation and welcomes it as a step in the right direction. However, the think tank’s spokesman Jeremy Davies believes the main obstacle is cultural and employers have a job to do to transform the status quo.



The whole world is still spinning around the idea that being a parent is for women only Jeremy Davies

Davies says outside of industries with more progressive diversity policies, such as financial services or the public sector, male employees find it difficult to “stand up and be counted” when it comes to taking leave. He suggests industries where staff are lower paid or male-dominated are the worst offenders and research by law firm Slater and Gordon shows men in general still feel too embarrassed to ask for shared parental leave.



“The whole world is still spinning around the idea that being a parent is for women only,” he says. “There is a cultural shift that needs to happen in society and the changes that happened to the law in April are really just the start of it.”

He adds that it will take a while for shared parental leave rights to have an effect and argues that because the legislation itself isn’t strong enough, this change may take even longer. He would like to see the introduction of a similar scheme to that offered to fathers in countries such as Sweden to provide more of an incentive for men to take time off.



Parents in the Scandinavian nation are currently offered 16-months parental leave which can be taken by either mothers or fathers, with two months of that set aside for dads on a “use it or lose it” basis. Gender equality bonuses encourage parents to share leave more equally. An allowance of 80% of salary for the first 390 of the 480 days leave available is another incentive. Around 85% of men now take some time off.



Incentives for dads

Legislation can only go so far in bringing about lasting change and employers must lead the way in cultivating a work environment which encourages and supports new fathers. Davies claims that despite fears from some business leaders that the burden of shared parental leave would be a “disaster” for smaller firms, the benefits for companies are attractive. The Swedish model has shown that shared parental leave can result in more harmonious lives at home, cutting divorce rates and producing a happier, more productive workforce.

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Emma Codd, head of talent at Deloitte, explains supporting fathers who want to take parental leave makes good business sense, resulting in a more motivated, engaged and loyal workforce that will want to stay with the company for longer.



The professional services firm has embraced the right to shared parental leave by offering employees who take up the scheme an enhanced rate of pay. The company also offers new fathers workshops to help them deal with the challenges of parenthood and professional coaching to ease them back into work once they have returned from leave.



Could an increase in men taking time off to be dads also help close the gender pay gap? A 2010 study by the Swedish Institute of Labour Market Policy Evaluation found that a mother’s future earnings increased 7% for every month that her partner took parental leave.



Codd believes the introduction of shared parental leave in the UK will lead to greater equality for women in their careers, but she warns that a fix for the issue of gender diversity in the workplace will not happen overnight.



Guardian reporter Rose Hackman hits the streets of New York’s financial district to ask men a question normally reserved for working women: how do you maintain balance between work and family?

She says: “It is a long-term game and I am always clear with everyone in the organisation that it is about doing the right thing in a sustained way for a long period.”



Codd claims that women will soon be freer to take senior management roles as a result of more fathers choosing to be the main carer. There will also be more men in senior leadership roles that have been the primary carer, leading to a top-down culture change within the company.



Succeeding at home and work

Tom Loeffert, HR director of technology firm SAP UK and Ireland, agrees that it is important that senior management in businesses leads by example by showing that you can still take parental leave and have a fruitful career. He claims that improving flexibility for new parents is also key to attracting today’s young talent, for whom work-life balance is a priority.



Loeffert says 20 years ago there was little differentiation between the personal and the professional. But the next generation is looking for an environment where they can maximise growth in both of these important areas of their lives.



“We have to be seen by people in their 20s as a work environment where they can progress their career,” he adds. “Businesses can do that by putting practical policies in place, creating an environment where you can learn and be flexible, balancing that with the needs of your personal life.”