[UK] Paid police paternity leave set to double, now military families seek a change

Paid paternity leave for police in England and Wales is set to double. The UK home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, increased the amount of paid parental and adoption leave for officers from one week to two across all forces, AOL reports.

Fathers’ leave is now in line with the leave that mothers receive.

Prior to the change, just a quarter of forces offered two weeks’ full pay, with others offering one week on full pay and the second week on statutory pay. This reportedly led to only 40 per cent of officers in the latter group taking the second week’s leave, compared with 88 per cent of those in the first group. 

Civilian staff in the Metropolitan police were entitled to three weeks’ paternity leave at full pay.

Sarah Jones - the policing minister - said, “Police officers work tirelessly to protect the public, so it is right that new fathers are better supported to spend time with their families. By expanding police paternity leave, we are recognising the importance of family life.”

The government is under increased pressure to improve paternity leave across the public sector. Campaigners reportedly contend that it offers poor and patchy leave for fathers. 

This gain for police officers has prompted a campaign for better paternity leave for military fathers. The Conservative peer Joanna Penn tabled an amendment to the armed forces bill which would triple paternity leave to six weeks for serving personnel.

In 2025, the government-led tri-forces survey revealed that nearly 30 per cent of families in the armed forces were separated for more than three months in the last year. In a survey of 450 serving parents by the campaign group The Dad Shift, more than 95 per cent of respondents agreed the current paternity offer was insufficient.

“We ask so much of our military families,” Ms Penn said. “The least we can do is give new fathers the chance to properly support their partners and bond with their babies.”

Source: AOL

(Link and quotes via original reporting)

Paid paternity leave for police in England and Wales is set to double. The UK home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, increased the amount of paid parental and adoption leave for officers from one week to two across all forces, AOL reports.

Fathers’ leave is now in line with the leave that mothers receive.

Prior to the change, just a quarter of forces offered two weeks’ full pay, with others offering one week on full pay and the second week on statutory pay. This reportedly led to only 40 per cent of officers in the latter group taking the second week’s leave, compared with 88 per cent of those in the first group. 

Civilian staff in the Metropolitan police were entitled to three weeks’ paternity leave at full pay.

Sarah Jones - the policing minister - said, “Police officers work tirelessly to protect the public, so it is right that new fathers are better supported to spend time with their families. By expanding police paternity leave, we are recognising the importance of family life.”

The government is under increased pressure to improve paternity leave across the public sector. Campaigners reportedly contend that it offers poor and patchy leave for fathers. 

This gain for police officers has prompted a campaign for better paternity leave for military fathers. The Conservative peer Joanna Penn tabled an amendment to the armed forces bill which would triple paternity leave to six weeks for serving personnel.

In 2025, the government-led tri-forces survey revealed that nearly 30 per cent of families in the armed forces were separated for more than three months in the last year. In a survey of 450 serving parents by the campaign group The Dad Shift, more than 95 per cent of respondents agreed the current paternity offer was insufficient.

“We ask so much of our military families,” Ms Penn said. “The least we can do is give new fathers the chance to properly support their partners and bond with their babies.”

Source: AOL

(Link and quotes via original reporting)