Gender Disparity in Parental Leave
Stark gendered disparity in the allocation of parental responsibilities, linked to insufficient statutory paternity leave provisions.
105 items
2 sources
Strongest theme matches
Mixed across source types and ranked by classifier confidence plus text match strength.
Committee recommendation
100match
#9 - 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 hold traditionalist views about gendered caring responsibilities, and these fathers are less likely to have supportive employers. (Conclusion,...
Matched on
terms: gender, leave, parental
Committee recommendation
100match
#6 - Prioritise extending statutory paternity leave to address gender disparity in parental responsibilities
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 parental responsibilities. Addressing the stark gendered disparity in...
Matched on
terms: disparity, gender, leave, parental
Committee recommendation
99match
#21 - Commit to meaningful reforms of the parental leave system in the medium term
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 design flaws and unnecessary complexity in the SPL...
Matched on
terms: gender, leave, parental
Committee recommendation
95match
#23 - Publish transparent data on gender equality outcomes and parental leave take-up by gender
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 reducing the gender gap pay should be key...
Matched on
terms: gender, leave, parental
Committee recommendation
95match
#5 - UK paternity leave is inadequate, entrenching gender stereotypes and harming families
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 completely out of step with how most couples...
Matched on
terms: gender, leave
Committee recommendation
91match
#18 - 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 kinship carers, in line with provision for parents by adoption and surrogacy. (Recommendation, Paragraph 102)
Matched on
terms: leave, parental
Committee recommendation
91match
#11 - Reduce cultural and societal barriers preventing fathers, especially working-class, from taking parental leave.
Alongside reforms of statutory paternity pay and leave entitlements, the Government’s review must consider steps it can take to reduce wider cultural and societal barriers to fathers taking more leave. It should in particularly consider steps to reduce cultural barriers in working class households and workplaces in which working class fathers are more likely to be employed. This...
Matched on
terms: leave, parental
Committee recommendation
90match
#33 - Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavirus and the gendered economic impact
We recommend the GEO and EHRC explore the feasibility of reporting on parental leave policies in addition to gender gaps in furlough and redundancies for 2020/21 to supplement the information on pay and bonuses. We also urge the Government to support The Equal Pay (Implementation and Claims) Bill.
Matched on
terms: gender, leave, parental
Committee recommendation
90match
#4 - Fifth report - Equality in the heart of democracy: A gender sensitive House of Commons
The proxy voting scheme for parental absence is a huge step forward for gender sensitivity in the House of Commons. We strongly welcome the scheme as a permanent feature of the package of support for parent MPs. However, we note witnesses’ concerns that the scheme does not mirror statutory maternity leave entitlements or best workplace practice, in which...
Matched on
terms: gender, leave, parental
Committee recommendation
89match
#2 - Raise statutory paternity pay to 90% of average earnings for first six weeks
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 the first six weeks i.e. 90% of average...
Matched on
terms: gender, leave, parental
Committee recommendation
87match
#49 - Extend statutory parental bereavement leave and pay to employees experiencing pre-24-week pregnancy losses
recommendation We intend to table amendments to the Employment Rights Bill in the name of our Chair for consideration at Report stage. The amendments are set out in annex B of this report. They seek to extend the same entitlements to statutory parental bereavement leave and pay as are currently available to parents bereaved by the loss of...
Matched on
terms: leave, parental
Committee recommendation
87match
#14 - 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 of our system that allows fathers and other parents an extended period to care for their babies, strengthening...
Matched on
terms: leave, parental
Committee recommendation
87match
#33 - Reform to paternity and shared parental leave schemes is long overdue.
We reiterate the conclusions from our report on paternity and shared parental leave. Improved paternity leave and pay and reform to the shared parental scheme is long overdue and would directly benefit female entrepreneurs. (Recommendation, Paragraph 129)
Matched on
terms: leave, parental
Committee recommendation
86match
#19 - Address inequality for single parent families by allowing reallocation of co-parent leave entitlements.
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 inequality. We recommend the Government’s review consider options...
Matched on
terms: leave, parental
Committee recommendation
85match
#5 - Fifth report - Equality in the heart of democracy: A gender sensitive House of Commons
Like the House of Commons’ proxy voting for parental absence scheme, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority’s (IPSA) new MP parental leave cover fund is a major step forward. It is an important part of a raft of measures in recent years that make the House of Commons a more welcoming and accommodating place for MPs who are, or...
Matched on
terms: gender, leave, parental
Committee recommendation
83match
#15 - Simplify or remove Shared Parental Leave's complex eligibility criteria to widen access.
The Government must consider steps to address flaws in SPL, increase take up and widen access. The Government’s review must examine the function and necessity of SPL’s complex eligibility criteria, with a view to simplifying or removing the employment status, time in service and earnings criteria. Its objective for reforms of SPL must be to widen access to...
Matched on
terms: leave, parental
Committee recommendation
82match
#7 - First Report: The impact of Covid-19 on maternity and parental leave
In addition to the immediate financial consequences for pregnant women of being put on Statutory Sick Pay or unpaid leave—often when they should have been suspended on full pay—in many cases the loss of income that results can also mean women lose their rights to Statutory Maternity Pay. This is unacceptable. Nor should anyone having to spend a...
Matched on
terms: leave, parental
Committee recommendation
82match
#3 - 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 average earnings or the real Living Wage. Overall paid maternity entitlements in the UK compare unfavourably with most...
Matched on
terms: leave, parental
Committee recommendation
78match
#4 - First Report: The impact of Covid-19 on maternity and parental leave
The Government has suggested that women can be furloughed as a means of extending their maternity leave and delaying their return to work. However, access to the scheme is reliant on employers’ consent, rather than parents having a right to it, and there are strict limitations to whom it can apply. Many new mothers are not eligible, if...
Matched on
terms: leave, parental
Committee recommendation
78match
#1 - First Report: The impact of Covid-19 on maternity and parental leave
The Government’s response has argued that the UK’s maternity leave offer is already amongst the most generous in the world. Although up to 52 weeks leave is generous compared to other countries, the amount of maternity pay is not the most generous in the world. While we accept that other more generous schemes are often not funded by...
Matched on
terms: leave, parental
Committee recommendation
78match
#10 - Encourage financial firms to equalise parental leave and publish policies, boosting uptake by men.
We recommend that the Government and regulators encourage all firms to consider equalising their offer of parental leave for men and women, and to actively encourage more men to take it up. We also recommend that the Government and regulators encourage firms to be transparent about their maternity and parental leave policies, including when advertising roles, by publishing...
Matched on
terms: leave, parental
Committee recommendation
78match
#17 - 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 which both parents take a substantial portion of leave while the other returns to paid work. (Recommendation, Paragraph...
Matched on
terms: leave, parental
Committee recommendation
78match
#16 - 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 a view, subject to consultation with employers, to reducing notice periods and maximising flexibility within the scheme. (Recommendation,...
Matched on
terms: leave, parental
Committee recommendation
78match
#4 - Legislate for a day one right to paid paternity leave in the Employment Rights Bill
A key objective of reform of the paid parental leave system should be to promote equality. Maternity and paternity rights should be as equal as possible, to benefit mothers, fathers and families. We therefore welcome the Government’s intention to legislate for a day one right to paternity leave, in line with rights to maternity leave. A day one...
Matched on
terms: leave, parental
Committee recommendation
78match
#1 - 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 far below rates in most comparable countries. This causes financial hardship, particularly in lower income households, and is...
Matched on
terms: leave, parental
Committee recommendation
77match
#9 - Maternity leave and childcare responsibilities remain significant barriers for women in finance.
It is clear that maternity remains a significant barrier to women in financial services, with too many women leaving the industry after having children. We have heard that increased availability and take-up of paternity leave and shared parental leave by men can have a significant impact on reducing this barrier by fostering a more equal sharing of childcare...
Matched on
terms: leave, parental
Committee recommendation
77match
#8 - Introduce a Paternity Allowance equivalent to Maternity Allowance for self-employed fathers
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 right thing” in taking time away from earning...
Matched on
terms: leave, parental
Committee recommendation
77match
#8 - Fifth report - Equality in the heart of democracy: A gender sensitive House of Commons
Publication of MPs’ staffing and business costs incurred in relation to parental leave and other costs associated with having dependent children make parent MPs look “more expensive” than those without children. This could be perceived negatively by the public and may therefore be acting as a disincentive to claims. We recommend that IPSA make a transparent assessment of...
Matched on
terms: gender, leave, parental
Committee recommendation
76match
#13 - Review adequacy of legal protections against paternity discrimination and raise awareness of rights.
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, and steps needed to raise fathers’ and co-parents’,...
Matched on
terms: gender, leave, parental
Committee recommendation
74match
#7 - 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 pathway to increasing paid statutory paternity leave to six weeks over the course of this Parliament. It should...
Matched on
terms: leave
Committee recommendation
69match
#6 - Fifth report - Equality in the heart of democracy: A gender sensitive House of Commons
We welcome the recent extension of the extended leave fund to cover a greater range of MPs’ absences from Westminster, including for ill health and wider caring responsibilities. We also welcome the establishment of a new working group in IPSA to consider how to further embed and improve extended leave support, in the interests of a more inclusive...
Matched on
terms: gender, leave
Committee recommendation
66match
#48 - Substantial gaps in employer pregnancy loss provision necessitate a minimum legal standard for paid leave
conclusion While there have been incremental improvements in recent years, substantial gaps in employer-led provision remain. The case for a minimum standard in law is overwhelming. A period of paid bereavement leave should be available to all women and partners who experience a pre-24-week pregnancy loss. 17
Matched on
terms: leave
Committee recommendation
66match
#10 - Services for new parents remain highly gendered, often marginalising men's caring roles.
The design and staffing of services for new parents caring for babies is highly gendered and can exclude or marginalise men, compounding cultural barriers to them taking a greater role in caring for their children. (Conclusion, Paragraph 69)
Matched on
terms: gender
Committee recommendation
65match
#30 - Review maternity legislation for self-employed women and tailor policies to support entrepreneurial aspirations.
Self-employed women (and those employed via their small business) are poorly served by the UK’s parental leave arrangements. As part of its Parental Leave and Pay Review, the Government should review legislation 57 pertaining to maternity through the lens of a self-employed woman and seek to tailor policies to support women’s entrepreneurial aspirations. (Recommendation, Paragraph 126)
Matched on
terms: leave, parental
Committee recommendation
62match
#47 - Promote benefits of generous pre-24-week pregnancy loss leave policies and strengthen awareness guidance
recommendation There has been good progress among employers in recent years in acknowledging miscarriage as a bereavement. An increasing number are establishing excellent pregnancy loss policies, including generous and flexible periods of paid leave for women and partners. The benefits, for employees and employers, of a generous and flexible approach are clear and far outweigh the minimal costs...
Matched on
terms: leave
Committee recommendation
61match
#31 - Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavirus and the gendered economic impact
We were disappointed that the Government chose to suspend, rather than delay, gender pay gap reporting and enforcement for this year. Given the high number of women who have been furloughed or worked reduced hours due to caring responsibilities, and the evidence of continuing gender inequality in other areas, this should have been a time for more -...
Matched on
terms: gender
Committee recommendation
57match
#22 - Lack of pay transparency exacerbates and perpetuates gender pay gaps
We have heard compelling evidence that a lack of pay transparency, particularly at the recruitment stage, exacerbates and perpetuates gender pay gaps. It is vital that employees are paid based on their experience, skills and value to an organisation, rather than on their prior salary or ability to negotiate.
Matched on
terms: gender
Committee recommendation
57match
#19 - Gender pay gap reporting fails to incentivise action for reducing large pay gaps.
Gender pay gap reporting has increased transparency around pay gaps, but it has not incentivised firms to take action to reduce pay gaps in the way that had been hoped and we are concerned by the evidence we heard that suggests large pay gaps in financial services have come to be accepted as the ‘norm’. (Paragraph 106) 42...
Matched on
terms: gender
Committee recommendation
57match
#17 - Financial services sector has the UK's largest and slowest-closing gender pay gap.
The financial services sector is well paid compared to many other industries, but it has the largest gender pay gap of any sector in the UK economy and that pay gap is reducing at such a glacial pace that it could take 70 years to close it at the current rate of progress. That is simply not good...
Matched on
terms: gender
Committee recommendation
57match
#11 - Amend Employment Rights Bill to align Maternity Allowance with Statutory Maternity Pay.
The Employment Rights Bill should be amended to bring Maternity Allowance into line with Statutory Maternity Pay. This would remove the inherent unfairness that means that, during maternity leave, women in employment can undertake unlimited self-employed work but restricts the ability for freelancers to do so for any more than their 10 keeping in touch days. (Recommendation, Paragraph...
Matched on
terms: leave
Committee recommendation
57match
#32 - Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavirus and the gendered economic impact
We recommend that gender pay gap reporting be urgently reinstated, with reporting for the financial years 2019/20 and 2020/21 required in April 2021.
Matched on
terms: gender
Committee recommendation
52match
#19 - Establish a permanent working group on best practice in pregnancy and maternity policy in sport.
We recommend the DCMS, UK Sport, Sport England and the sports’ national governing bodies establish a permanent working group on best practice in pregnancy and maternity policy, including maternity leave and pay and wider policies to support pregnant sportswomen and returning mothers. This working group must consider a road map to equal access to leave and funding/pay in...
Matched on
terms: leave
Committee recommendation
48match
#18 - Urge Government to actively support best practices for pregnancy and maternity in sport.
A long-overdue culture change is taking shape in sport around pregnancy and maternity. While policies and practices being adopted in funded Olympic and Paralympic sports and, to a lesser extent, in some professional women’s sports are welcome, there is still a long road to travel, both in maternity pay and leave and the wider culture of supporting pregnant...
Matched on
terms: leave
Committee recommendation
45match
#31 - Increase Maternity Allowance for self-employed mothers and permit more Keeping In Touch days.
We acknowledge the Government’s desire to protect a mother’s time with her baby. As such, we recommend that Maternity Allowance is increased for self-employed mothers in the first six weeks to bring it closer in line with Statutory Maternity Pay. This will allow more mothers to spend time with their babies in the early weeks. A very limited...
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
41match
#32 - Reclassify Maternity Allowance as earned income for Universal Credit to support self-employed women.
The Department for Work and Pensions should review funding for Universal Credit and reclassify Maternity Allowance so that it is not treated as “unearned income” for the purposes of Universal Credit, so that when self-employed women access it, their Universal Credit is not reduced. (Recommendation, Paragraph 128)
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
36match
#23 - Introduce legislation to mandate salary bands on job adverts and ban salary history requests
While we recognise the Government’s plans for a pay transparency pilot as a first step to exploring these issues, we are concerned by the lack of progress since the pilot was announced two years ago. Given the very clear case for action, the Government should act now rather than await the outcome of a pilot scheme that will...
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
36match
#12 - Evaluate effectiveness of local initiatives and commission schemes supporting fathers' caring roles nationwide.
There have been recent local initiatives, for example in Blackpool, Bradford, Lambeth, Nottingham and Southend, in partnership with the National Children’s Bureau’s A Better Start campaign, designed to support fathers to play a more equal role in parenting. This has included training for local authority, third sector and NHS service providers, bespoke services for men taking care of...
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
36match
#37 - Review adequacy of childcare support for self-employed mothers, including tax deductibility and flexibility.
The Government should undertake a review of the adequacy of existing childcare support for self-employed mothers. That review should consider: the potential merits of making childcare a tax-deductible expense, if only 58 for an initial period; expanding free hours of childcare to include services, such as nannying, that can cover the period from 0–3 months, when most nurseries...
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
36match
#36 - Childcare availability and affordability are crucial for increasing female entrepreneurship rates.
The availability and affordability of childcare must be addressed to increase entrepreneurship rates among women. Making childcare more easily available and affordable would benefit the founding, performance and persistence of female-led businesses, while being vital for reconciling work and family demands and promoting individual wellbeing. (Conclusion, Paragraph 137)
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
32match
#1 - Second Report - The rights of cohabiting partners
The current law applicable to cohabitants on relationship breakdown can be costly, complicated and unfair. Complex property law and trusts principles often require the financially weaker partner—often women—to demonstrate direct financial contributions to the acquisition of the family home, while childcare and other non- financial contributions go largely unrecognised. Schedule 1 to the Children Act 1989, is out-dated,...
Matched on
classifier match