MPs and charities warn that the Employment Rights Bill may have unintended consequences, including undermining the rights of women and creating conditions which could drive more women away from the workplace.
Stella Creasy, MP for the area of Employment Law and Maternity-Paternity, is working to amend legislation that will enter the report stage on 11 March to provide equal protections to mothers and fathers. She claims that, although the bill is intended to strengthen maternal rights in pregnant women’s workplaces, it will not be able to do so if there are no new measures to protect fathers’ pay and leave.
She stated that the bill “boosted maternity rights without considering the rights of fathers”. The bill could lead to more women being discriminated against in the workplace, and more fathers being cut off because they are under pressure to earn.
Creasy warned that the bill would give mums better protection from maternity discrimination. This is a good thing. Without consideration for pay and protected leaves for fathers, there is a risk that the bill reinforces the idea that women are responsible for babies. “Dads want to step in.”
She said that the UK has the lowest parental leave in Europe, with only two weeks.
Norway, for instance, offers 15 weeks of parental leaves exclusively to fathers, and they are paid at a rate of more than 90% of average salaries.
Statutory Paternity Pay currently amounts to PS184.03 per week (PS187.18 by 6 April 2025), or 90% of the employee’s average earnings each week – whichever is less.
Some firms offer their staff enhanced pay and paid leave as part of their benefits package. However, many companies are unable afford to do so.
More than 60 MPs have supported her amendment to the bill. This will force the government to consult with the public on the introduction and payment of parental leave.
Creasy is supported by the men’s charity Movember. Movember stated that it was time to “close the parental leave gap”, and to act quickly to “support men’s health, balance caring responsibilities, and to help families build a strong foundation for better health outcomes”.
Movember’s global leader for policy and advocacy Amy O’Connor said: “Supporting fathers by increasing parental leave improves bonds, relationships, and health outcomes.” Data shows that the majority of British people would like dads to get more than two weeks of statutory leave.
The government spokesperson said that paternity leaves and non-paid parental leave will be day one rights under our Employment Rights Bill. We are also reviewing the wider parental leave legislation to ensure that it provides working families with the best support possible.
There are protections against dismissal in place for fathers who want to take paternity leave or have already taken it. Fathers on shared parental leave receive the same protection as mothers who are on maternity leave. They also get protected when they return to their jobs if they have taken six consecutive weeks or more of leave.
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