Recommendations & Conclusions
10 items
2
Recommendation
6th Report - Equality at work: Paternit…
Deferred
A key aim of the Government’s review of the parental leave system must be to incentivise greater gender equality in parenting responsibilities. Increasing statutory paternity pay is a vital part of achieving this. As a priority, the Government must consider raising paternity pay to the level of maternity pay in …
Government response. The government acknowledges the importance of gender equality in parenting and that the system needs improvement. It defers the recommendation to significantly raise statutory paternity pay to the ongoing 18-month parental leave and pay review, which will consider all entitlements …
Government Equalities Office
5
Conclusion
6th Report - Equality at work: Paternit…
Deferred
Since introducing up to two weeks of paid statutory paternity leave over 20 years ago, the UK has fallen far behind many comparable countries. We now have one of the worst leave offers in the developed world for fathers and other parents. A maximum of two weeks paternity leave is …
Government response. The government acknowledges the need for change in parental leave and states it will enable Paternity Leave to be taken after Shared Parental Leave. However, it defers the consideration of increasing the length of paid Paternity Leave to the ongoing …
Government Equalities Office
6
Conclusion
6th Report - Equality at work: Paternit…
Deferred
There is very strong evidence from around the world and from UK employers’ gender equal schemes that providing fathers and other parents with an extended period of sustainably paid statutory leave typically transforms take up. Extending paternity leave therefore has the potential to shift the dial on gendered allocation of …
Government response. The government notes the committee's concerns about extended paid leave shifting gendered responsibilities and states this will be a key consideration, alongside fairness and equality, within the ongoing parental leave and pay review, including for self-employed parents.
Government Equalities Office
8
Recommendation
6th Report - Equality at work: Paternit…
Deferred
Lack of provision for self-employed parents, particularly fathers and other parents, is a key flaw in the system. Given the substantial economic contribution of self-employed fathers, it is grossly unfair to exclude them. Lack of provision causes financial hardship and associated family difficulties, notably where a self-employed father “does the …
Government response. The government thanks the committee for highlighting the "A Better Start" campaign and mentions expanding the Family Hubs programme, but generally defers the specific recommendations for statutory paid leave and a Paternity Allowance for self-employed fathers, and rectifying Maternity Allowance …
Government Equalities Office
13
Recommendation
6th Report - Equality at work: Paternit…
Deferred
In implementing reforms that work towards a more gender equal parental leave system, the Government must consider the potential impacts on employment discrimination against fathers and other parents. The Government’s review must consider the adequacy of legal protections against paternity discrimination, including protection from redundancy for those taking paternity leave, …
Government response. The government's response broadly discusses how the parental leave and pay review will consider support for various working families facing challenges, including kinship carers, single parents, and those with multiple births, but does not specifically address the adequacy of legal …
Government Equalities Office
19
Recommendation
6th Report - Equality at work: Paternit…
Deferred
In reforming the parental leave system, the Government must address inequality for single parent families. Unlike in many developed countries, single parents do not receive any portion of the paid leave that would be available to the household if they had a co-parent. Extending paternity leave entitlements risks exacerbating this …
Government response. The government acknowledges the challenges faced by single-parent families and states that the parental leave and pay review will consider options for them, including international systems, to ensure the system supports all working families.
Government Equalities Office
20
Recommendation
6th Report - Equality at work: Paternit…
Deferred
Our paid parental leave system provides comparatively very poorly for parents of multiple births, who face unique financial, practical and emotional impacts in caring for their babies and young children and juggling work commitments. The Government’s review must consider options to mitigate these impacts through additional financial support. It should …
Government response. The government thanks the committee for highlighting challenges for parents of multiple births and states that the parental leave and pay review will consider these situations, including international systems, to better support all working families.
Government Equalities Office
21
Recommendation
6th Report - Equality at work: Paternit…
Deferred
The Government has said the parental leave system is broken and promised to launch a “full review”. It is clear that the system has some fundamental failings, including low statutory pay across the board; inadequate leave periods for fathers and other parents; exclusion of many working parents and guardians; and …
Government response. The government acknowledges the failings of the parental leave system and states it has launched a review that is currently in a discovery phase. It commits to publishing findings and a roadmap for potential reforms after the review concludes, rather …
Government Equalities Office
22
Recommendation
6th Report - Equality at work: Paternit…
Deferred
Producing much-needed substantial change to our paid parental leave system will require considerable financial investment. For example, the direct costs of extending and increasing paid leave for fathers and other parents to six weeks at 90% of average earnings are likely to be over £1 billion per year. The Government …
Government response. The government confirms engagement with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and states that their economic model for extending paternity leave is being considered as part of the ongoing parental leave and pay review, promising a robust cost-benefit assessment for future policy …
Government Equalities Office
23
Recommendation
6th Report - Equality at work: Paternit…
Deferred
The Government’s review should have gender equality at its heart. Countries which provide a substantial period of well-paid leave for fathers and other parents have on average a four-percentage point smaller gender pay gap than those that allow less than six weeks. Increasing women’s labour market participation and earnings and …
Government response. The government recognizes the importance of gender equality and will consider these objectives, including improving women's labour market outcomes and tackling the gender pay gap, within its ongoing parental leave and pay review. It states that data on parental leave …
Government Equalities Office