Why paternity leave campaigners are attaching dolls to monuments
Earlier this year a campaign was launched to highlight what activists say is the sorry state of paternity leave available to UK fathers.
The campaign is seeking fuller paternity leave and pay rights for dads and other non-birth partners and, to raise its profile, Dad Shift activists have been strapping doll babies in slings to male statues around London and Edinburgh.
In London, one appeared on the Isambard Kingdom Brunel statute at Paddington. Another showed up on Arsenal football legend Thierry Henry’s kneeling replica near the Emirates Stadium with another strapped to Hollywood dance icon Gene Kelly in Leicester Square.
More flexibility, less disparity
The latest review of paternity leave under the previous government resulted in more flexibility of the two-week leave from April this year (it can now be used across the full year), yet the disparity with maternity and adoption leave is still huge.
In future, under the New Employment Right Bill, the existing leave will at least become a day 1 right (instead of needing 26 weeks’ service).
Shared parental leave was designed to bridge the gap, of course.
However, take-up has always been low, amounting to 1% of eligible mothers and 5% of eligible fathers.
Research by economists at the University of Bath and Cardiff University with 40,000 households concludes “shared parental leave (SPL) has failed to encourage greater take-up or longer leave by fathers, prompting calls for policy reform."
Improving take-up of leave
The new government committed in its manifesto to reviewing parental leave policy in its first year.
The leading employers Bright Horizons works with know that enhanced corporate policies together with great HR support cut through any confusion and greatly improve take-up of leave and therefore engagement and loyalty.
These are firms such as Deloitte and Goldman Sachs, highlighted in The Times for equalising parental leave.
The other key is to provide coaching to new and expectant parents and their managers – as well as childcare support and back-up care – to ensure the transitions to and from leave are managed proactively and ongoing careers and wellbeing are kept to the fore.
In partnership with Bright Horizons Work+Family Solutions
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