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Select Committee · Women and Equalities Committee

Equality at work: paternity and shared parental leave

Status: Closed Opened: 6 Dec 2024 Closed: 17 Sep 2025 14 recommendations 9 conclusions 1 report

Unequal division of childcaring responsibilities is a key driver of wider gender inequality and the gender pay gap. The Women and Equalities Committee is examining options for reform of the statutory shared parental leave scheme and statutory paternity rights with the aim of identifying the most effective ways of incentivising more equal sharing of childcare …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
6th Report - Equality at work: Paternity and shared parenta… HC 502 10 Jun 2025 23 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 items
4 Recommendation 6th Report - Equality at work: Paternit… Accepted in Part

Legislate for a day one right to paid paternity leave in the Employment Rights Bill

A key objective of reform of the paid parental leave system should be to promote equality. Maternity and paternity rights should be as equal as possible, to benefit mothers, fathers and families. We therefore welcome the Government’s intention to legislate for a day one right to paternity leave, in line …

Government response. The government commits to legislating for a day one right to unpaid paternity leave but rejects a day one right to paid paternity leave due to practical and financial challenges, stating the parental leave review will consider entitlements holistically.
Government Equalities Office
12 Recommendation 6th Report - Equality at work: Paternit… Accepted in Part

Evaluate effectiveness of local initiatives and commission schemes supporting fathers' caring roles nationwide.

There have been recent local initiatives, for example in Blackpool, Bradford, Lambeth, Nottingham and Southend, in partnership with the National Children’s Bureau’s A Better Start campaign, designed to support fathers to play a more equal role in parenting. This has included training for local authority, third sector and NHS service …

Government response. The government acknowledges the 'A Better Start' campaign and states it will invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme to support parents. As part of the parental leave and pay review, it will consider evidence from a wide range …
Government Equalities Office
15 Recommendation 6th Report - Equality at work: Paternit… Accepted in Part

Simplify or remove Shared Parental Leave's complex eligibility criteria to widen access.

The Government must consider steps to address flaws in SPL, increase take up and widen access. The Government’s review must examine the function and necessity of SPL’s complex eligibility criteria, with a view to simplifying or removing the employment status, time in service and earnings criteria. Its objective for reforms …

Government response. The government commits to removing the requirement that Paternity Leave and Pay must be taken before Shared Parental Leave to offer more flexibility. However, the broader examination of SPL's complex eligibility criteria, with a view to simplifying or removing them …
Government Equalities Office

Oral evidence sessions

3 sessions
Date Witnesses
1 Apr 2025 Claire McCartney · Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Jonny Briggs · Aviva, Nikki Pound · Trade Union Congress (TUC) View ↗
25 Mar 2025 Claire McCartney · Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Jonny Briggs · Aviva, Nikki Pound · Trade Union Congress (TUC) View ↗
26 Feb 2025 Abby Jitendra · Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Alex Lloyd Hunter · The Dad Shift, Dr Gemma Mitchell · University of East Anglia, Dr Sarah Forbes · The Equal Parenting Project, Jemima Olchawski · The Fawcett Society, Joeli Brearley · Pregnant Then Screwed, Karla Capstick View ↗