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Paternity Pay in UK Is One of the Lowest in the Developed World, MPs Say
- The Women and Equalities Committee released a report on June 11, 2025, calling out the UK's maximum two weeks' paternity leave as outdated and inadequate.
- The report criticized the statutory pay being far below maternity pay and out of step with living costs, urging the government to amend the Employment Rights Bill accordingly.
- It proposed increasing paternity pay to match maternity pay at 90% of average income during the initial six weeks, streamlining eligibility criteria, and exploring the introduction of paid leave for self-employed fathers comparable to the maternity allowance.
- Chairwoman Sarah Owen stated the system's flaws include low pay, short leave, and complexity, adding that incremental changes would fail working parents and meaningful reform must begin with better paternity leave.
- The report implies that improving paternity leave and pay could promote gender equality, support families better, and yield societal and economic benefits if substantial reforms follow.
21 Articles
21 Articles
British dads are going ‘on strike’ for better parental leave
Prostock-studio/ShutterstockUK campaign group The Dad Shift is staging a “dad strike” on June 11, to protest the poor paternity leave available to fathers in the UK. Fathers and other parents are being asked to “picket or pickup” – to leave work and join protests at government buildings, or use this time to do the school or nursery run. My research suggests that a poor offer of leave for fathers means they do not believe either the UK government…
Paternity Leave in UK One of Worst in Developed World, Committee Finds
The UK has “one of the worst leave offers in the developed world for fathers,” according to a report by the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC). The WEC report into paternity and shared parental leave published on Tuesday added that the maximum of two weeks’ leave for fathers is “completely out of step with how most couples want to share their parenting responsibilities” and “entrenches outdated gender stereotypes about caring.” It also found t…
UK has one of 'worst statutory leave offers for fathers and other parents in the developed world', Equalities boss says
The UK has one of the "worst statutory leave offers for fathers and other parents in the developed world", the chairwoman of the Women and Equalities Committee has warned.
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