[UK] Financial worries mean 3 in 5 new dads don’t take full paternity leave

New research has revealed some concerning trends regarding paternity leave, particularly in the wake of the cost of living crisis, Metro reports.

Three in five UK fathers who participated in a new study from childcare service Koru Kids and The Fatherhood Institute said they didn’t take their full paternity leave allocation because they were worried about how it would impact their finances.

A third of the dads surveyed reportedly said that their ‘dissatisfactory’ paternity leave package made them feel financially unstable. 64 per cent of dads did not receive their full salary during their leave.

The new research also shone a spotlight on other psychological issues surrounding paternity leave.

More than half of parents said their paternity package negatively affected their mental health, while 62 per cent of mums said having so little time off meant their partners struggled to bond with their newborn.

The research found that 76 per cent of fathers and non-birthing parents were offered just two weeks’ leave by their employer, which is the current minimum statutory requirement in the UK.

It seems a tiny amount of time when compared to the 52-week entitlement given for maternity leave. However, this consists of 26 weeks of ‘ordinary maternity leave’ and the last 26 weeks as ‘additional maternity leave’ (with decreasing pay).

Adam, a dad of two from Manchester, was reportedly offered two weeks of statutory paternity leave for the birth of his first child. But he and his wife soon realised this would not be enough.  

The 38-year-old father said, “We decided that once our son turned six months old, my wife would return to work and I’d become the primary caregiver so that my employer would have to grant me three months (unpaid) shared parental leave.”

Harry Smith*, from Surrey, was in a similar situation. He worked in a recruitment consultancy at the time his first child was born. 

The 35-year-old dad said, “I was offered the statutory two weeks paid leave, but they went by in a flash. As first-time parents, it was really stressful knowing I had to head back to work so soon. I felt really guilty leaving my wife to look after our child on her own, while she was also recovering physically from the birth.”

Harry was then reportedly granted one month of unpaid leave when his child was five months old.  

He said, “After the birth, we spent those first four months saving really hard, as we knew I wouldn’t get more paid time off.

“It was definitely worth it to spend time with my child; even if we were worrying about money.”

Echoing the recent findings, 29-year-old Daniel from Hull said he thinks there is a huge stigma regarding paternity leave.

The dad-of-two said, “I felt obliged to take what I was given, no questions asked.

‘I didn’t know how to ask for or negotiate a longer leave period, so I accepted what my boss gave me even though I knew it wasn’t enough.”

*Names have been changed

Source: Metro

(Quotes via original reporting)

New research has revealed some concerning trends regarding paternity leave, particularly in the wake of the cost of living crisis, Metro reports.

Three in five UK fathers who participated in a new study from childcare service Koru Kids and The Fatherhood Institute said they didn’t take their full paternity leave allocation because they were worried about how it would impact their finances.

A third of the dads surveyed reportedly said that their ‘dissatisfactory’ paternity leave package made them feel financially unstable. 64 per cent of dads did not receive their full salary during their leave.

The new research also shone a spotlight on other psychological issues surrounding paternity leave.

More than half of parents said their paternity package negatively affected their mental health, while 62 per cent of mums said having so little time off meant their partners struggled to bond with their newborn.

The research found that 76 per cent of fathers and non-birthing parents were offered just two weeks’ leave by their employer, which is the current minimum statutory requirement in the UK.

It seems a tiny amount of time when compared to the 52-week entitlement given for maternity leave. However, this consists of 26 weeks of ‘ordinary maternity leave’ and the last 26 weeks as ‘additional maternity leave’ (with decreasing pay).

Adam, a dad of two from Manchester, was reportedly offered two weeks of statutory paternity leave for the birth of his first child. But he and his wife soon realised this would not be enough.  

The 38-year-old father said, “We decided that once our son turned six months old, my wife would return to work and I’d become the primary caregiver so that my employer would have to grant me three months (unpaid) shared parental leave.”

Harry Smith*, from Surrey, was in a similar situation. He worked in a recruitment consultancy at the time his first child was born. 

The 35-year-old dad said, “I was offered the statutory two weeks paid leave, but they went by in a flash. As first-time parents, it was really stressful knowing I had to head back to work so soon. I felt really guilty leaving my wife to look after our child on her own, while she was also recovering physically from the birth.”

Harry was then reportedly granted one month of unpaid leave when his child was five months old.  

He said, “After the birth, we spent those first four months saving really hard, as we knew I wouldn’t get more paid time off.

“It was definitely worth it to spend time with my child; even if we were worrying about money.”

Echoing the recent findings, 29-year-old Daniel from Hull said he thinks there is a huge stigma regarding paternity leave.

The dad-of-two said, “I felt obliged to take what I was given, no questions asked.

‘I didn’t know how to ask for or negotiate a longer leave period, so I accepted what my boss gave me even though I knew it wasn’t enough.”

*Names have been changed

Source: Metro

(Quotes via original reporting)