Widespread Calls for Parental Leave Reform
A coalition of academics, charities, and trade unions is now urging the government to launch a wide-ranging review of parental leave. This would include maternity, paternity, and shared leave, along with how time off and pay are structured.
In an open letter addressed to Employment Minister Justin Madders (dated 2 May 2025) 15 academics and 18 organisations—co-ordinated by the charity Working Families—outlined key proposals for reform. Signatories include the TUC, Save the Children, Pregnant Then Screwed, and The Dad Shift, among others.
The letter calls for nine principles to guide the reform of parental leave:
- Each parent should have their own individual, non-transferable right to time off and pay. This has been shown in other countries to reduce gender inequality.
- Maternity leave remains essential for a mother’s recovery and to support breastfeeding. Employers should also be required to support breastfeeding at work.
- Fathers and partners should be encouraged and financially supported to take time off to care for their newborn, helping establish their role from the beginning.
- The system must be simple and easy to navigate, offering flexibility and the option for both parents to take time off together.
- Leave and pay should be made available from day one, and include workers in insecure employment or the self-employed.
- Statutory levels of leave and pay should be significantly increased and linked to the cost of living to make leave affordable for all families.
- The law must protect parents’ rights to return to the same job, and safeguard them from discrimination during and after their leave.
- Future reforms must not compromise any existing parental rights or entitlements.
- Parental leave should be aligned with a flexible labour market, affordable childcare, and a health system that recognises the important roles of both parents.
Labour committed in its election manifesto to reviewing parental leave arrangements “within the first year of a Labour government”. While a formal announcement is yet to be made, sources close to the government suggest that the review will be launched by early July.
Current System Failing Fathers, Say Researchers
Research by Dr Joanna Clifton-Sprigg and Professor Eleonora Fichera, from the University of Bath’s Department of Economics, found that the shared parental leave policy has not significantly changed the behaviour of fathers in the UK. Based on data from 40,000 households, the study showed little to no increase in the number of fathers taking leave or the duration of that leave.
Dr Clifton-Sprigg stated: “A better policy should reserve some leave specifically for fathers, provide adequate pay, and lower the eligibility barriers so that more working parents can benefit.”
Jane van Zyl, Chief Executive of Working Families, added:
“A rethink of the statutory offering to new parents is long overdue. Attitudes have shifted—fathers want to be more involved in their children’s lives, and if we’re serious about gender equality, they need the opportunity to do so from the outset.
“Unfortunately, the current system hasn’t kept up with this change. Reform is urgently needed so that families, especially those without financial security, aren’t forced back to work too soon and can enjoy equal time with their child during that all-important first year.”
The growing push for reform highlights a broader societal shift: both parents increasingly want to play active roles in raising their children, and the concerns that UK law must evolve to reflect that reality.
