Recommendation 9

Reform of parental leave for freelancers is overdue. The current system places the burden of childcare onto the mother and offers no financial support for self-employed fathers or same-sex partners wanting to share childcare responsibilities. The Government should bring forward legislation to allow self-employed mothers and fathers to share parental leave and pay and for the leave to be taken non-consecutively as is the case with PAYE employees. (Recommendation, Paragraph 52)