Why is paternity pay so low

Ricardo Duque says that this might be partly a result of fathers simply not knowing their rights. Thekla Morgenroth also considers role models to be of paramount importance. Research conducted across Germany, Austria and Switzerland in showed that fathers without leadership responsibility were much more likely to take leave as planned than their peers who were managers.

More responsibility, the researchers reasoned, simply equated to greater perceived pressure to be present at work. Ninety percent of those surveyed reported their employer offered less than 12 weeks of paternity leave, but almost two-thirds said that they planned to take less than half of that.

Fifty-eight percent admitted that they were afraid that taking even six weeks of paternity leave would set their careers back. Dads who take time off go on to have closer relationships with their kids, research shows Credit: Getty. In the US, although individual companies offer paternity leave, fathers are not legally entitled to any paid parental leave. In fact, the US is one of only a handful of countries without any mandated paid leave for birthing mothers, too. Gender norms seem to have become even more entrenched by the pandemic — something which, combined with ongoing economic instability, could potentially make it even harder for fathers who want time off.

Research has highlighted other important advantages of fathers taking leave, too. A paper published in showed that even nine years later, children whose fathers took at least two weeks of paternity leave after they were born reported feeling closer to their fathers than children with fathers who did not take leave.

The Roberts had heard about shared parental leave SPL , the policy, introduced in , that allows eligible parents to split maternity leave. Application forms for SPL were not circulated alongside those for maternity or paternity leave, and the human resources department was unhelpful. Two weeks after the birth of his son, Paul went back to the factory. As well as managing life-changing new circumstances at home alone, she later had to pass up a promotion that would have clashed with the end of her maternity leave.

Under SPL, a mother must take two weeks of maternity leave after the birth, but can move to SPL for the remaining 50 weeks, 37 of which are paid. A couple can share those 50 weeks, either taking half in turn — alternating blocks, or, say, 25 weeks together. The criteria for claiming include a minimum length of employment with the same company and an eight-week notice period. Agency, contract workers or the self-employed are not eligible. Employers are required to grant shared leave to eligible staff who apply for it, and pay them, reclaiming it from the government by way of reduced national insurance contributions.

Got it? Meanwhile, research published in August by the law firm EMW, based on claims filed by businesses with HMRC, suggests that less than a third of fathers take statutory two-week paid paternity leave, a figure that is in decline.

Campaigners describe a vicious cycle; even well-intentioned couples submit to a deterrent climate, unwittingly perpetuating low expectations and poor policy. In workplaces, men are too often tacitly or explicitly discouraged from taking leave. Tool Find a retirement adviser. Calculator Redundancy pay calculator.

Paternity leave and pay. What is Statutory Paternity Leave? Statutory Paternity Leave is the time you can take off to support your partner. You must take it as a whole week or consecutive weeks. Your paternity leave is in addition to your normal holiday allowance. Some companies let their employees take more time off, so check your contract for details. Do you qualify?

Back to top. Shared Parental Leave. This allows you to switch arrangements if you need to. UK website If you live in Northern Ireland, visit the nidirect website.

Paternity pay. Statutory Paternity Pay. To qualify for Statutory Paternity Pay, you must have worked for your employer for at least 26 continuous weeks before: the 15th week before the baby is due the end of the week the adoption agency matched you with a child. UK website If you live in Northern Ireland, find out more on the nidirect website.

Statutory Shared Parental Pay. UK website. How to claim paternity leave and pay. Statutory Paternity Leave and Pay. Shared Parental Leave and Pay. You must tell your employer if you want to start Shared Parental Leave or Pay. Your partner must apply to their own employer.

You must give your employer notice in writing if you want to start Shared Parental Leave or Pay. Notice can be given at the same time if you qualify for both. You can download an application form on the GOV. If you think your employer is being unfair. Consider taking annual leave or unpaid parental leave instead.

Ask your employer if you can switch to a more flexible working pattern. Was this information useful? Yes No. Thank you for your feedback. Share this article. Email Facebook Twitter. More options. Share this with. WhatsApp LinkedIn. Explore this topic Close Becoming a parent. Talk to us live Talk to us live for…. Talk to us live for… Pensions guidance.

Talk to us live for… Money guidance. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Recommended France doubles paternity leave to 28 days — twice as much as the UK. Recommended From rice cakes to play dates: 28 pieces of fatherly advice from a paternity-leave veteran. More about Paternity leave Fathers Fatherhood Childcare.

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