The UK has one of the least generous parental leave systems in Europe. For too long, parents and their families have been let down by an outdated system. This is why Male Allies UK is proud to support a collective call for a stronger and more inclusive parental leave system as part of the UK Government’s Parental Leave Review.
The Review, which launched last summer, is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform statutory parental leave and pay so that it works for all families – supporting gender equality, improving the health and wellbeing of parents and children, and ensuring that having a baby or taking on caring responsibilities does not push families into financial insecurity.
A fair system must reflect the diversity of modern families, including single parents, Black and Brown parents, kinship carers, adoptive parents, parents of disabled children, and parents facing serious illness. No family should be excluded from adequate leave or pay because of their circumstances or employment status.
We are therefore joining organisations, academics and experts across the women’s, men’s and family sectors in calling on the Government to commit to the following key changes.
We demand a parental leave system that works for everyone
Strengthen maternity leave and adoption leave and pay
Extend statutory maternity and adoption pay from 6 to 12 weeks at 90% of average weekly earnings.
Increase statutory pay for weeks 13–39 to the National Living Wage or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.
Strengthen leave and pay for fathers and second parents
Introduce six weeks of non-transferable statutory paternity leave, paid at 90% of average weekly earnings.
End the disadvantage faced by self-employed parents
Bring statutory parental pay (including maternity, paternity and adoption leave and pay) for self-employed and other workers into line with what employed parents receive. This should be treated as unearned income for the purposes of Universal Credit.
Make parental leave a genuine day-one right
Ensure all parental leave and statutory pay entitlements are available from day one, regardless of earning level or employment status.
A collective call for change
Charities, academics and experts have joined forces to make a collective call on the Government to fix parental leave.
Charities and networks:
Fawcett Society
Movember
Women’s Budget Group
Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Pregnant Then Screwed
Fatherhood Institute
The Dad Shift
Mumsnet
Save the Children
Equimundo
Kinship
Young Women’s Trust
Future Men
Beyond Equality
Maternity Action
Dads Rock
Both Parents Matter
Taraki
Seek Parenting
Global Action on Men’s Health
Centre for Policy Research on Men and Boys
Male Allies UK
Mother Pukka
The Parent Experience
Deliberate Dad
The Family Services Foundation
Unions:
TUC
UNISON
Unite the Union
The Teachers’ Union
RMT
Musicians’ Union
Universities, academics and individuals:
King’s Global Institute for Women’s Leadership
University of Lincoln
UCL Thomas Coram Research Unit
Joeli Brearley, Growth Spurt
Heejung Chung, King’s College London
Margaret O’Brien, University College London
Emma Banister, University of Manchester
Jamie Atkinson, Manchester Metropolitan University
Krystal Wilkinson, Manchester Metropolitan University
Helen Norman, University of Leeds
Mark Gatto, University of Northumbria
Patricia Hamilton, University of York
Anna Tarrant, University of Lincoln
Joanna Clifton-Sprigg, University of Bath
Susan Milner, University of Bath
Michelle Weldon-Johns, Abertay University
We recognise that budgetary constraints may mean these reforms cannot all be delivered at once. But financial pressures should not mean lowering our ambition when an opportunity like this for families is unlikely to come along again in our lifetime. Once the Parental Leave Review concludes, we are asking the Government to make a clear political commitment to all changes now, even if their implementation needs to be phased over time.
Thank you to Fawcett Society and Movember, via Future Advocacy, for bringing the sector together to rally this collective call.
