Childcare is a growing expense in the UK with many parents struggling to make ends meet. Almost half of parents in the country with young children were dissatisfied with their or their partner’s paternity leave package.
According to research conducted by childcare service Koru Kids, a huge 76% of fathers and non-birthing parents were offered just two weeks' leave by their employer. This is the statutory minimum that must be met by employers by law.
This is a mammoth discrepancy compared to the 52 weeks offered as maternity leave. Eight in 10 parents believed this contributed to and reinforced gender stereotypes, leaving the mother to take on all at home responsibilities.
Not enough time off was one of the key reasons that fathers were dissatisfied with the paternity leave package offered by their employer. Over half were also displeased with their pay and a third commented that there was a lack of flexibility upon returning to work.
Currently statutory paternity leave is either one week or two consecutive weeks’ leave at a rate of either £156.66 a week or 90% of their average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. On top of this tax and national insurance are also deducted.
By comparison, maternity leave is 90% of earnings for the first six weeks, then drops to the £156.66 rate or remains the same depending on which is lower. Leave can be taken up to 11 weeks before the expected week of childbirth, unless the baby is born early and must be taken for two weeks after the birth.
Fathers being rushed back to work in this crucial time had far reaching knock-on-effects for their relationship with the birthing partner, the baby, and their own health, found Koru Kids. Three in five mums felt their partner struggled to create a bond with their new baby due to a lack of time off.
More worryingly, over half of parents said their child didn’t receive enough attention during those crucial first months. Forming strong bonds with your child at an early age is one of the most important things a parent can do and has ramifications for their development and growth.
As well as impacting the child and damaging the mental health of the non-birth partner, the unbalance had a negative effect on the primary caregiver. A total of 73% of mothers surveyed felt abandoned during this vulnerable time.
More than two-thirds of primary caregivers had to take on the majority of household chores and childcare duties alone. This allows for outdated and sexist gender stereotypes to be reinforced that do not suit the needs of modern families, regardless of the genders of the parents.
A third of fathers also felt this imbalance with parental leaves left them less financially stable. Forcing a caregiver back to work after only two weeks could result in families having to pay high costs for adequate care to maintain a healthy balance and life.
Rachel Carrell, founder and CEO of Koru Kids, said: “Gender inequality starts at day one, thanks to poor paternity leave packages, and our research confirms that paternity leave is severely underfunded and overlooked. With 60% of dads saying good paternity leave would be a factor when finding a new role, every employer should check their paternity package and make sure it truly provides financial stability, flexibility and enough time for new parents to bond with their baby.”
She added: “It’s time we broke down the barriers to accessing parental leave, so that men, women and children can flourish.” Koru Kids has partnered with The Fatherhood Institute and released a league table for the best paternity packages by companies in the UK.
Mars, Google, Meta and O2 all came in the top 10 for their paternity packages while Jet2, Ford, and Dell lagged behind with the minimum pay on offer. Diageo Beverages came out on top, giving non-birthing partners full pay for up to 26 weeks and a total of 52 weeks leave.
Adrienne Burgess, joint CEO and Head of Research for The Fatherhood Institute, said: “We’ve been calling for a father-inclusive parenting leave system for years, but it’s still startling just how little progress has been made to change the status quo in the UK. Together with Koru Kids, we’re campaigning for fathers and non-birthing partners to be given six weeks minimum paid leave in the first year after the birth of a child, and for workplaces to be transparent when it comes to the package they offer.”
