Key Takeaways:
- The UK’s shared parental leave policy has failed to deliver on its promise of "culture change" and has been criticized as a "lost decade" for parental rights.
- Fewer than one in 60 public sector workers are sharing leave with their partners when they have a baby, with only 1.55% of parental leave requests being for shared parental leave.
- The policy has become the preserve of higher earners, with 95% of shared parental leave being claimed by fathers in the UK’s top half of earners.
- Campaigners and policy shapers are calling for bold measures to allow more men, including middle- and lower-earners, to spend time with their babies.
- The government has launched an 18-month review of the UK’s parental leave system, but critics warn that "tinkering around the edges of a broken system" will not be enough.
Introduction to Shared Parental Leave
The UK’s shared parental leave policy was introduced in 2015 with the aim of allowing parents to share up to 52 weeks of leave, including up to 39 weeks of statutory shared parental pay. However, new data obtained by the Guardian suggests that the policy has failed to deliver on its promise of "culture change". In the past five years, just one in every 64 requests for parental leave in four of the UK’s biggest public sector employers were for shared parental leave. This is a stark contrast to the policy’s architects’ vision of a more equal sharing of parental responsibilities.
The Failure of Shared Parental Leave
Former Lib Dem leader, Jo Swinson, who introduced the policy in the House of Commons, has expressed disappointment at the low take-up of shared parental leave in public bodies. She blames successive Tory governments for not providing enough backing and encouragement for the policy. Campaigners and policy shapers have long argued that the shared parental leave policy is a failure, with a key study from the University of Bath finding that the policy has "fallen flat". The study found that neither the uptake nor the length of paternal leave taken has increased since the policy’s introduction.
The Preserve of Higher Earners
A growing body of evidence suggests that shared parental leave has become the preserve of higher earners concentrated in the south-east of England. Analysis of HMRC data by campaign group the Dad Shift reveals that 95% of shared parental leave in 2024-25 was claimed by fathers in the UK’s top half of earners, those making more than the average salary of £37,800 a year. This is a clear indication that the policy is not working for most working fathers and non-birthing parents. George Gabriel, co-founder of the Dad Shift, argues that "a lost decade on, it’s clear shared parental leave is good for a handful of wealthier families in the south-east but just doesn’t work for most working fathers and non-birthing parents".
The Need for Bold Measures
The government’s launch of an 18-month review of the UK’s parental leave system has been hailed as a "watershed moment" by the House of Commons women and equalities select committee. However, MPs have warned that "tinkering around the edges of a broken system will let down working parents". The minister for employment rights, Kate Dearden, has acknowledged that the current parental leave system needs improving and has pointed to the review and measures in the workers’ rights bill that will make paternity leave a day-one right. However, critics argue that more needs to be done to address the systemic issues with the policy.
Proposed Solutions
Jo Swinson has urged the government to implement "take it or leave it" time off work for dads, which would allow fathers to take a set amount of leave without having to rely on their partner giving up some of their maternity leave. Baroness JoJo Penn has called for an increase in statutory paternity leave from two to six weeks at 90% of a father’s salary. These proposals aim to address the key problems with the current policy and provide more support for working parents. Ultimately, the government needs to be bold and recognize that the current policy is not working, and that a leap is needed to provide proper support for working parents.
Conclusion
The UK’s shared parental leave policy has been criticized as a "lost decade" for parental rights. The low take-up of shared parental leave in public bodies and the concentration of the policy’s benefits among higher earners are clear indications that the policy is not working. Campaigners and policy shapers are calling for bold measures to allow more men, including middle- and lower-earners, to spend time with their babies. The government’s review of the UK’s parental leave system provides an opportunity for meaningful change, but critics warn that "tinkering around the edges of a broken system" will not be enough.
