Plans revealed for 6 months paternity leave

Plans to change paternity leave entitlement were unveiled by Gordon Brown last year and this week the government has announced proposals to increase paternity leave from two weeks to six months.

The plans could come into force from April next year and will allow mothers to transfer up to half of their year-long maternity leave entitlement to their partner during the last six months. Ministers hope that the principle of sharing leave between parents will help achieve the goal of a more flexible workforce and give parents more options.  

Currently fathers are entitled to 2 weeks paid leave while mothers can take up to 52 weeks, 39 of which are paid.

The government has sought to reassure small businesses by saying that less than 1 per cent of them would be affected by the change. The take-up is likely to be low with less than 1 in 16 fathers expected to leave work for a period of full time child care.

General Secretary for the TUC (Trade Union Congress), Brendan Barber said "As both parents work in most modern families, it's right that mums and dads should decide who looks after their baby, rather than the state deciding for them by only paying the mother for parental leave.”

Although an extension to paternity leave would, according to Gordon Brown, give “couples more freedom, dads more rights and children more time with the two people who love them most”, it has been met with some criticism given the fragile economic climate. David Frost, the director-general of the British Chamber of Commerce has called for a three year suspension to changes in employment law while firms cope with the downturn.

According to Working Families, 4 in 10 fathers do not take paternity leave with 72 % maintaining that they cannot afford it.

As an employer, would you encourage male employees to take up to six month paternity leave?