The UK government will review parental leave and pay to better support working families.
It will cover all types of leave, including maternity, paternity, and shared parental leave, and will aim to modernise the system to make it simpler, fairer, and more accessible, the government said.
Currently, one in three fathers do not take paternity leave due to financial constraints, and uptake of shared parental leave remains low. Research suggests that better parental leave can help narrow the gender pay gap and boost the UK economy by billions of pounds.
The review will collect submissions from parents, employers, and experts across the UK and will conclude with a roadmap for potential reforms. It is part of the government’s broader “Plan to Make Work Pay”, which aims to improve living standards, increase economic growth, and remove barriers for working families.
Angela Rayner, deputy prime minister, said: “Those early years are the most special time for families, but too many struggle to balance their work and home lives. Supporting working parents isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s vital for our economy.”
Jane van Zyl, CEO at Working Families, said she was pleased to see the government take this important step forward. “Backing up the government’s findings, our own research shows the current system is falling short, with one in five fathers having no access to parental leave at all, and many others unable to take what they’re entitled to due to financial pressures. This review is a vital opportunity to build a parental leave system that supports the needs of families today.”
George Gabriel, co-founder of The Dad Shift, said the current offer is “the least generous in Europe” and welcomed the government’s promised review.
Rachel Grocott, CEO of Pregnant then Screwed, emphasised that after six weeks, “mothers are forced to survive maternity leave on 44 percent less than the national minimum wage,” calling the review “long overdue”.
Claire McCartney, policy and practice manager at the CIPD, stressed the need for a “holistic and thorough review” and backed the Women and Equalities Committee’s recommendations to increase paternity leave to six weeks at or near full pay through a phased approach, as well efforts to simplify the complicated shared parental leave system.
She said: “The government review should consider lessons learnt from successful international approaches, and the steps it can take to reduce wider cultural and societal barriers to fathers taking more leave.”
McCartney encouraged the government to consult thoroughly with employers, representative bodies and working parents throughout this review “to ensure the recommendations are practical, workable and likely to bring about real change”.
Chris Britton, people experience director at Reward Gateway Edenred, said reform is “needed and welcome,” adding that “traditional views of parenthood are just not reflective of our modern society.”
Britton added: “The mother, father, child and even the businesses the parents work for are all negatively impacted by unfair parental leave.
“More and more, dads want to be present and bond with their new-born as well as offer support in the early weeks and months. Organisations and governments alike should understand that offering fair paternity leave – with the flexibility and choice needed to look after and bond with their child – will benefit them.
“Having a culture where people know that there is an appreciation of the human being before the employee makes businesses more attractive and encourages deeper engagement and discretionary effort – and presently, there is room for workplaces to improve in this department.”
“Employees will remember their workplaces for how they were supported during these times, and this is vital if we want to, firstly, keep people in the workforce, and secondly, ensure they are productive, happy and engaged.”
The government said its review will consider successful international models and consult widely to ensure reforms are effective and inclusive for both families and employers.
