The Government’s parental leave review must overhaul the UK’s “broken” system as “tinkering around the edges” will “let down” working families, the Women and Equalities Committee has warned.
The cross-party Committee of MPs, welcomed the review announced in July, but cautioned it must address head on the existing system’s “fundamental failings”.
WEC’s report concluded the UK has “one of the worst leave offers in the developed world for fathers and other parents”, adding that a maximum of two weeks’ paternity leave is “completely out of step with how most couples want to share their parenting responsibilities” and “entrenches outdated gender stereotypes about caring”.
In its response the Government said:
“We know that the parental leave system needs improvement, and that more can be done to better support working families in the important time after a child is born.
“We have already made a start on improving our leave offering for dads; the Employment Rights Bill will make Paternity and Unpaid Parental Leave ‘day one’ rights. This means that dads will be able to give notice from their first day in a new job of their intention to take this leave. This will come into force April 2026…
“However, the government recognises that more can be done. In the Plan to Make Work Pay the government committed to a Review of the parental leave system.
“This review launched on 1 July and will explore how the system can better support working families and reflect the realities of modern work and childcare, while still balancing the needs of businesses, and the Exchequer.
“The review presents a much-needed opportunity to consider our approach to the system of parental leave and pay. All current and upcoming parental leave and pay entitlements will be in scope.”
It added: “The review’s published terms of reference propose objectives for the parental leave and pay system, including improving both women’s labour market outcomes and reducing the gender pay gap, and ‘motherhood penalty’.
“We expect the review to run for a period of 18 months, and it will conclude with a set of findings and a roadmap, including next steps for taking any potential action.”
