03-04-2018

Paternity pay should be set at 90 per cent of earnings, while the government should also consider introducing an alternative policy of 12 weeks paternal leave and pay to replace shared parental leave, according to the Women and Equalities Committee.

In its report, Fathers and the Workplace, the Committee argues that current parental policies do not meet the needs of 21st century families and are reinforcing traditions that lead to a gender pay gap.

“The evidence is clear – an increasing number of fathers want to take a more equal share of childcare when their children are young but current policies do not support them in doing so,” said Chair of the Committee, Maria Miller MP. “There is a historical lack of support for men in this area, and negative cultural assumptions about gender roles persist.”

Despite the government’s good intentions to introduce more family-friendly policies, such as shared parental leave and extending the right to request flexible working to all, the Committee believes that these policies have not been sufficient to create the necessary cultural shift, nor have they kept pace with social changes in people’s everyday lives.

“Effective policies around Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP), parental leave and flexible working are all vital if we are to meet the needs of families and tackle the gender pay gap,” added Miller.The main recommendations put forward by the Committee include: paying SPP at 90 per cent of father’s pay; considering whether a new policy of 12 weeks’ standalone fathers’ leave in the child’s first year would be a good alternative to shared parental leave; legislate that all jobs be advertised as flexible from day one, unless there is a solid business reason not to; and harmonise workplace rights for fathers who are agency workers or self-employed.

Gavin Shuker MP, a member of the Committee, said: “We were concerned to hear that men simply don’t feel able to ask their employers for leave or flexible working due to a macho culture or for fear it will harm their career prospects. We need to tackle these attitudes.“It is very important – and only fair – that fathers of all incomes have an equal chance to bond with their children in the same way as mothers,” he added.

A review of shared parental leave is due to be undertaken by the government later this year.


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