12 October 2012
The Fatherhood Institute has welcomed news that the Government plans to allow fathers and mothers to share parenting leave from 2 weeks after the birth of their child ? an idea the FI first floated in June and has been lobbying for ever since.
But we need clarity on the detail of the proposed changes ? especially over whether there will be quotas of reserved leave for fathers and mothers within the flexible parental leave entitlement. Evidence suggests that this ?use it or lose it? leave is crucial to ensuring dads take up leave.
We also need to see whether only fathers whose partners were entitled to maternity leave and pay can take flexible parental leave or whether it rests on their own entitlement ? and whether unemployed fathers can claim ?paternity allowance? (equivalent to the maternity allowance currently paid to mothers who do not qualify for maternity leave and pay).
Adrienne Burgess, the FI?s joint CEO, said: ?We need to digest and also read the official announcement, when it comes, along with the small print. But this sounds like a very positive step ? and fits with the Coalition?s early commitment to support shared parenting from the earliest stages of pregnancy.?
After many years of lobbying for a more flexible parenting leave system in the UK, the FI first floated the idea of sharing leave from 2 weeks after the birth (4 weeks where mothers are factory workers) ? the Swedish system ? in June 2012, after it became clear that a lobby of women?s groups and trade unions was pushing the Government to abandon plans floated in their MODERN WORKPLACES consultation for more flexible leave.
Read our Briefing on Maternity Leave, Parental Choice and Child Welfare, which outlines how a modern, flexible parenting leave system could work in the UK.
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Tags: Fatherhood policy, Maternity leave, New fathers, Parental leave, Paternity leaveAlexa Vega 2012 Olympics Chad Everett London Olympics Kristen Stewart Rupert Sanders Photos BBC 2016 Olympics
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