News

March 26, 2010

Less than a fifth of workers plan to take extended paternity leave

Just 18 per cent of male staff would take six months paternity leave when changes to parental leave are introduced next year, research from YouGov has found.

From April 2011, mothers returning to work after six months maternity leave will be able to transfer their remaining six months’ entitlement to their partners. The leave will be paid at the statutory rate of £123 a week for three months, and three months unpaid. Under current laws, new fathers are only entitled to two weeks off on statutory pay.

The YouGov survey found that the main barrier to taking additional paternity leave (APL) was money worries, with 47 per cent of men citing this as the reason they would decline the offer. The results also revealed that 15 per cent said they were too vital to the business to be absent for six months, while 3 per cent felt that senior management would be against the move.

According to Working Families policy officer, Elizabeth Gardiner, small firms will benefit from the new rules, as family friendly policies are likely to boost retention and create more loyal and motivated staff.

“Men increasingly feel that they want a better work-life balance and if they can’t get it then there are risks of disengagement and reduced performance,” she said. “Small firms just need to plan effectively and communicate with employees who intend to take longer leave.”

However, the Forum of Private Businesses (FPB) said that many small firms would struggle to cope with APL, as it meant extra red tape and reduced staff cover.

“It’s another example of a government policy that is well meaning, but bureaucratic and difficult to implement in practice,” said FPB spokesman, Chris Gorman. “To find out how much leave has already been taken, firms will be required to liaise with the mother’s employer, which is likely to be time-consuming and complicated.

“Small firms should consider offering flexible working instead, as this could have less of an impact than losing a key member of staff for six months,” he added.