4th September 2025

Parental Leave: Rebalancing the Scales

The UK’s parental leave system is under increasing scrutiny. A recent House of Commons report, “Equality at work: Paternity and shared parental leave,” argues that the current system is unfair, outdated, and hinders gender equality in the workplace and at home.

While mothers can take up to 52 weeks of maternity leave, fathers (and co-parents) are entitled to just 2 weeks of paternity leave. This huge gap reinforces traditional gender roles – mother as caregiver, father as breadwinner – and contributes to the gender pay gap and the “motherhood penalty” on women’s careers. Statutory pay is also a major problem: after an initial period, it drops to a flat rate (~£187 per week), which is less than half the minimum wage. Many families simply cannot afford for fathers to take time off at this pay level, and one in three eligible fathers don’t take even their two-week leave.

The Shared Parental Leave (SPL) scheme introduced in 2015 – which lets parents split maternity leave – has floundered. Its complex rules and low pay have led to dismal uptake (only around 2–5% of fathers use any SPL). Moreover, several groups are left out of the current system, including self-employed fathers (who get no statutory paternity pay) and kinship carers like grandparents raising a child. Clearly, the status quo isn’t working for modern families.

 

Recommendations for Reform

In June 2025, the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) called for an overhaul of parental leave to “rebalance the scales” in favour of greater equality. Some of its headline recommendations include:

  • Longer, Better-Paid Paternity Leave:
    • Increase statutory paternity leave from 2 to 6 weeks and make it a day-one right for all new fathers.
    • Paternity pay should rise to 90% of the father’s earnings for those 6 weeks (matching the first 6 weeks of maternity pay).
  • Simplify and Expand Shared Parental Leave:
    • Streamline the SPL’s complex eligibility rules and extend it to all types of working parents, like self-employed parents.
    • Add flexibility (e.g. allowing smaller blocks of leave).
    • Introducing a “use-it-or-lose-it” portion reserved for fathers to encourage uptake.
  • More Inclusive: 
    • A new “Paternity Allowance” (akin to Maternity Allowance) so that self-employed fathers can get some paid leave.
    • Integrate kinship carers (like grandparents or other relatives who take on childcare) into the paid leave system.
    • For single parents, allow the transfer the notional “partner’s” leave to a nominated person (such as a relative or friend) to help out.
  • Change Culture and Strengthen Protections:
    • Awareness campaigns and employer initiatives to normalise fathers taking leave.
    • Stronger protection against discrimination: for instance, extending redundancy protections to cover fathers on paternity or shared leave (similar to the protections mothers have during maternity leave), and ensuring no one is penalised at work for taking time off to care for their baby.

 

Recent Developments and the Road Ahead

In July 2025 the Government launched a wide-ranging review of the entire parental leave and pay system. A public call for evidence has closed (August 2025) and the review will run for about 18 months, evaluating options to modernise the framework.

Meanwhile, some interim improvements are in progress. The proposed Employment Rights Bill 2025 will make both paternity leave and unpaid parental leave “day one” rights for employees Additionally, new legislation has enhanced protections for mothers on maternity leave – for example, protecting women from redundancy for up to 6 months after returning to work. The Government has also introduced Neonatal Leave starting 2025, granting extra paid time off for parents of babies who require neonatal care.

 

Conclusion

There is broad political and public consensus that the UK’s parental leave system must change to reflect modern family life. If the WEC’s recommendations are adopted, fathers in the UK could soon enjoy substantially more time with their newborns – on much improved pay – and families of all kinds would be better supported. This would help level the playing field at home and at work: mothers could return to work sooner (if they choose) without penalty, and fathers could be more present in those critical early months. Companies might benefit too, as more equitable leave can improve employee morale and retention. The coming year will be crucial, as the Government’s review translates into policy. For now, momentum is building toward a future where parental leave in the UK is fairer, more flexible, and inclusive for both parents.

Richard McCulloch

Richard McCulloch
Solicitor