A coalition of UK charities, academics and campaign groups has called on the Government to undertake a wide-ranging overhaul of the country’s parental leave system.
The coalition, coordinated by Working Families – the national charity for working parents – wrote an open letter whose 18 signatories include the TUC, Save the Children, Pregnant then Screwed and The Dad Shift. The letter calls for changes across maternity, paternity and shared parental leave and pay.
This action follows research from the Working Families Index which found that four in ten mothers felt they were unable to take the time they needed with their new baby. Seven in ten fathers who took less than two weeks’ leave reported financial concerns, while 21 percent of fathers and 14 percent of mothers were not entitled to any form of parental leave.
The letter urges the Government to broaden the scope of its promised review. It recommends reforms that would cover the length and pay level of leave, eligibility for different categories of workers and better provision for adoptive parents and kinship carers.
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A new approach to parental leave
The coalition’s proposal is centred around nine key principles for future reform. These include establishing individual rights to leave and pay for both parents, simplifying the system for ease of understanding and access, and extending eligibility to all working parents from day one, including self-employed individuals.
The group calls for significant increases to statutory leave pay, arguing that this is necessary to make leave genuinely affordable. It also stresses the need for employment protections to prevent discrimination during or after a period of leave, as well as a clear legal right for parents to return to the same job.
Another recommendation is to ensure that parental leave reforms are aligned with broader changes in the labour market. These include a move towards flexible and part-time work by default, an affordable childcare system and better access to health services that recognise the role of both parents.
The coalition underlines the wider societal value of investing in early years care and parental involvement, pointing to benefits for families, employers and, ultimately, the economy.
Support for low-income and self-employed families
Jane van Zyl, Chief Executive of Working Families, said the statutory framework has not kept pace with social attitudes or economic reality.
“A rethink of the statutory offering to new parents is long overdue to enable mothers and fathers to manage the transition once a baby arrives. Shifting attitudes mean fathers want to play an active role and if we are to achieve gender equality, fathers need the chance to be involved from the get-go,” she said.
Van Zyl added that many families without financial support are being forced back to work too soon. She called for urgent reform to enable equal opportunities for parents during the first year of a child’s life.
Meghan Meek-O’Connor, child poverty policy lead at Save the Children UK, said a review of parental leave is essential to support low-income families.
“Reforms should at the very least include an increase to statutory leave and pay levels in line with the cost of living, otherwise leave isn’t truly affordable for all families, on all incomes,” she said.
