11-07-2019

Aviva, Rolls-Royce and Vodafone are among the 23 organisations that publish details about maternity, paternity, shared parental and adoption pay and leave policies, according to research by parenting website Mumsnet.

From Mumsnet’s review of the top 100 organisations in the UK it was found that only23 visibly publicise pay and leave arrangements for statutory leave and pay which includes maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental pay. A further survey, conduct in February 2019, found that 82% of parents are reluctant to ask potential employers about parental leave arrangements because it might impact the likelihood of receiving a job offer. However, 84% of those surveyed stated that knowing about these policies is important when applying for a new job.

The 23 organisations that publish details about their parental leave policies, in alphabetical order, are:

  • Admiral
  • Aviva
  • BHP
  • BP
  • British American Tobacco
  • BT
  • Croda International
  • Diageo
  • Direct Line
  • Experian
  • Johnson Matthey
  • Reckitt Benckiser
  • Rio Tinto
  • Rightmove
  • Rolls-Royce
  • Royal Bank of Scotland
  • Royal Dutch Shell
  • Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust
  • Severn Trent
  • SSE
  • Standard Chartered
  • Unilever
  • Vodafone

Justine Roberts, founder at Mumsnet, said: “This information is unbelievably significant for parents; people need transparency so that they can make informed decisions, and it’s baffling that so many [organisations] make it so difficult to find, given that it significantly affects people’s lives.

“If more organisations were to publish their policies, it could well encourage a race to the top and would certainly reward employers that do the right thing. It’s bizarre that some of the UK’s largest employers feel the need to tell people about their wellbeing libraries, but not their parental leave policies.”


"My team always attends the annual Payroll and HR Update course. Essential information covering often complex legislative changes, always presented by excellent trainers with in depth knowledge of their subject. A 'must attend' course for any serious payroll professional."

Deon Piovesan
Finance and Payroll Manager at Capital City College Group

View on Linkedin

Have a question?

Leave us your details or call us on 01798 861111

Ensure you're up to date and compliant

Are you happy for us to email you from time to time with payroll related information, legislation and updates?

Yes please, keep me up to date