Government says shared parental leave uptake is 'disappointingly low'
by Richard Wheeler PA Parliamentary Editor · ChronicleLiveThe Government has acknowledged that the uptake of shared parental leave is "disappointingly low". Speaking in the House of Commons, business minister Justin Madders indicated that a review of the parental leave system is in progress to address this concern.
Currently, parents have the potential to share up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay within the first year after their child's birth or adoption. A staggering 2023 Government research paper highlighted that 45% of fathers who did not take shared parental leave simply were not aware of their eligibility.
Addressing business and trade questions, Mr Madders remarked: "The Parental Rights Survey 2019 found that 89% of employee mothers took maternity leave and 70% of employee fathers took paternity leave.
"Take-up of shared parental leave is much lower, it’s very disappointingly low, which is why we’re committed to a review of the parental leave system.
"Work is under way to deliver on that and I will update in due course."
Echoing the concerns, Liberal Democrat MP Christine Jardine described the situation as "very disappointing" and criticized the current parental leave rates as being "too low" for many individuals, while deeming the system insufficiently flexible.
She added: "A recent report by the BBC said that almost half of new fathers were actually unaware of what was available to them and the system is skewed against, the take-up is lower amongst lower-earning families."
Mr Madders said the Government will take into account the issues highlighted during its review.
"The Employment Rights Bill has a number of important measures to support working families," he told the chamber, "bringing 1.5 million parents into scope for parental leave and another 32,000 into scope for paternity leave."
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