The team at Reassured - the UK’s largest life insurance broker - recently conducted an insightful study on UK paternity leave trends. The focus was on the UK but compared to international perspectives, shedding light on the experiences of fathers and the varying policies across countries and industries.
The survey, encompassing 250 fathers in the UK, revealed some eye-opening statistics. Perhaps most striking was the fact that only 17.1% of respondents were granted 5 to 6 weeks of paid parental leave, representing less than a fifth of all those surveyed. The majority, it seems, were offered a meagre 1 to 2 weeks of paid leave, a stark contrast to the average global maternity leave period of around 5 to 6 weeks.
Despite the brevity of their leave, a surprising 71% of dads felt that their employers were doing enough to support them in the workplace. Additionally, 66% believed they had sufficient time to bond with their child during their time off. However, 60% expressed a desire for their paternity leave to align more closely with that of their partners.
While the overall sentiment seems positive, 52% of respondents felt pressured to return to work sooner than agreed upon and 41% were denied longer paternity leave than they desired. This suggests that - although some fathers are content with their leave arrangements - there is room for improvement in accommodating the diverse needs of working fathers.
The research also delved into regional variations within the UK, highlighting Manchester as the best city for parental leave, where 41% of parents enjoyed an impressive 9 to 10 weeks off work. Conversely, Norwich and Liverpool emerged as the least accommodating cities, offering just 1 to 2 weeks for a significant portion of parents.
Leeds stood out as a city where the negative impacts of longer paternity leave were particularly pronounced, with 70% of fathers expressing concerns about potential career repercussions. In contrast, London and Birmingham demonstrated comparatively lower levels of anxiety, with 45% and 43% of fathers, respectively, expressing similar concerns.
When examining industries, the study uncovered that those working in charity and law universally felt their careers could be adversely affected by taking longer paternity leave. Sectors like law enforcement, security, recruitment, HR, transport, and accountancy also reported high levels of career impact concerns (67-75%). Notably, the energy and utilities sector emerged as the least affected, with only 13% expressing such concerns.
Comparing the UK to 43 other countries, the study found that the UK ranked 24th in terms of average paternity leave length, offering just 2 weeks with an 18.5% overall average payment rate. Spain topped the list, providing an average of 16 weeks of paid paternity leave at 100% of the salary. Other leading countries included the Netherlands, Portugal, France, and Estonia, each offering longer and more generously compensated paternity leave than the UK.
Analysing industries globally, healthcare proved to be the most generous sector, offering an average of 12 weeks of paternity leave, followed by finance (11.5 weeks), industrial positions (9.6 weeks), tech jobs (7.3 weeks), and cyclical work (7 weeks). On the flip side, real estate provided the least amount of paternity leave, averaging just 1.9 weeks.
In conclusion, the study by Reassured highlights the significant disparities in paternity leave policies both within the UK and globally. While some fathers feel adequately supported, there is a pressing need for more inclusive and flexible parental leave policies to better accommodate the diverse needs and expectations of working fathers worldwide.
