Equality at work: paternity and shared parental leave
Women and Equalities Committee
Closed
Inquiry
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 …
Read more
14
Recommendations
9
Conclusions
1
Report
3
Oral sessions
3
Events
Activity timeline 8 events
19 Sep
2025
2025
10 Jun
2025
2025
Report published
1 Apr
2025
2025
Oral evidence
1 Apr
2025
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 6, Palace of Westminster
25 Mar
2025
2025
Oral evidence
25 Mar
2025
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
26 Feb
2025
2025
Oral evidence
26 Feb
2025
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 8, Palace of Westminster
Oral evidence sessions 3 sessions
1 Apr 2025
View on parliament.uk
Women and Equalities Committee
Claire McCartney · Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)
Jonny Briggs · Aviva
Nikki Pound · Trade Union Congress (TUC)
25 Mar 2025
View on parliament.uk
Women and Equalities Committee
Claire McCartney · Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)
Jonny Briggs · Aviva
Nikki Pound · Trade Union Congress (TUC)
26 Feb 2025
View on parliament.uk
Women and Equalities Committee
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
Reports 1 report · click to expand
| Title | HC No. | Published | Items | Response |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th Report - Equality at work: Paternity and shared parental lea… | HC 502 | 10 Jun 2025 | 23 | Responded |
Recommendations & Conclusions
8 results
1
Conclusion
Acknowledged
6th Report - Equality at work: Pat…
UK statutory parental pay rates are inadequate, causing hardship and hindering take-up
The UK’s rate of statutory parental pay is completely out of kilter with the cost of living. At considerably less than half of the National Living Wage and real Living Wage, it has not kept pace with inflation and is …
Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the importance of parents taking time off and that the parental leave system can do more to support families. It notes the annual review of statutory pay and states that the recently launched parental leave and pay review, which will last 18 months, will consider all entitlements including statutory pay rates.
Government Equalities Office
View details
3
Recommendation
Acknowledged
6th Report - Equality at work: Pat…
Introduce phased increases to statutory parental pay, reaching 80% of average earnings
In the longer term, the Government must also consider a feasible approach to phased introduction of increases to statutory pay across the system, to bring rates for all working parents up to a very substantial proportion (80% or more) of …
Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the recommendation to increase statutory pay but defers it to the ongoing parental leave and pay review, stating the review will consider how the system can promote economic growth and improve women's labour market outcomes.
Government Equalities Office
View details
7
Recommendation
Acknowledged
6th Report - Equality at work: Pat…
Increase paid statutory paternity leave to six weeks and assess making a portion compulsory
The Government’s review must consider a feasible plan to incrementally increase the period of paid paternity leave, drawing on lessons from recent reform programmes overseas, for example in Spain. As an initial medium- term objective, it should set out a …
Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the importance of fathers' roles and will engage stakeholders through the parental leave and pay review. It highlights initial steps requiring employers to publish action plans that *may* promote parental leave policies, but does not commit to increasing paid paternity leave to six weeks or making it compulsory.
Government Equalities Office
View details
9
Conclusion
Acknowledged
6th Report - Equality at work: Pat…
Lower income fathers face additional cultural barriers to taking parental leave
While there is evidence of appetite for more leave among fathers across occupational and income groups, fathers in lower income and working-class occupational groups may face additional cultural barriers to taking leave. These households and communities are more likely to …
Read more
Government Response
The government recognizes low take-up of Shared Parental Leave and states it is in scope of the parental leave and pay review, which will gather evidence, consider simplification, and examine international models to inform future reforms.
Government Equalities Office
View details
14
Conclusion
Acknowledged
6th Report - Equality at work: Pat…
Shared Parental Leave benefits are outweighed by complex eligibility criteria and low take-up.
Shared Parental Leave (SPL) has clear benefits for couples who are able to access it. SPL enables a range of flexible options in how parents share their parental responsibilities and balance these with working life. It is the only aspect …
Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the benefits of Shared Parental Leave (SPL) but also its low take-up and awareness. It notes a change through the Employment Rights Bill to allow paternity leave after SPL and states that SPL is within the scope of the ongoing parental leave and pay review to consider simplification.
Government Equalities Office
View details
16
Conclusion
Acknowledged
6th Report - Equality at work: Pat…
Reduce notice periods for Shared Parental Leave to maximise flexibility within the scheme.
The Government’s review should examine barriers to flexibility in the SPL scheme, including the requirement for employees to give employers eight weeks’ notice of blocks of leave and changes to start and end dates for leave. This should be with …
Read more
Government Response
The government welcomes the committee's call for a full review of the parental leave and pay system, confirming it is underway, gathering evidence to identify opportunities for improvement and will publish findings and a roadmap for potential reforms.
Government Equalities Office
View details
17
Conclusion
Acknowledged
6th Report - Equality at work: Pat…
Consider financial incentives, like overseas 'bonuses', to increase Shared Parental Leave take-up.
The Government’s review must consider financial incentives to increase take up of SPL. The review should examine approaches taken in overseas systems, including the German “partnership bonus” and Portugal’s “sharing 59 bonus”, which provide additional paid leave to couples in …
Read more
Government Response
The government confirms that the proposal to extend paternity leave, and its associated economic analysis, is being considered as part of the parental leave and pay review, which will conduct a robust assessment of costs and benefits for any policy options.
Government Equalities Office
View details
18
Conclusion
Acknowledged
6th Report - Equality at work: Pat…
Include kinship carers within the statutory paid parental leave system, considering costs and benefits.
The Government’s review must include consideration of the needs of kinship carers, with a view to including them in the paid parental leave system. This should include consideration of the costs and wider benefits of implementing statutory paid leave for …
Read more
Government Response
The government states that the parental leave and pay review aims to reset the system, considering objectives like economic growth, women's labour market outcomes, and fairness, and will gather evidence to inform a future roadmap, but does not explicitly commit to including kinship carers in the paid parental leave system.
Government Equalities Office
View details