UK's CIPD endorses WEC report advocating comprehensive re-evaluation of parental leave policies
The Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) has released a report calling for a comprehensive review of the United Kingdom's parental leave system, with the aim of modernising it to better reflect contemporary family needs and support fathers more fully. The report, which was published earlier this year, presents several key recommendations for improving the UK's parental leave system, particularly focusing on paternity leave and overcoming cultural barriers for fathers.
One of the WEC's most significant proposals is to extend statutory paternity leave from the current two weeks to **six weeks** within this parliamentary term. The committee also recommends making paternity pay a day-one right, helping to improve access and support for fathers. To further boost uptake and cultural change, the WEC calls for flexible leave options within the first year of a child's life and proposes exploring making part of the extended paternity leave compulsory.
The report advocates that paternity pay should rise to match 90% of average earnings during the first six weeks, aligned with maternity pay levels. Over the longer term, the committee suggests a phased approach to raise pay for all working parents to at least 80% of earnings or the Real Living Wage, aiming to reduce financial barriers to taking leave.
To address cultural barriers that discourage fathers from taking leave, the WEC recommends learning from successful international approaches to paternity leave. The committee also suggests that the government should take steps to reduce cultural and societal barriers for fathers taking more leave, such as introducing a Paternity Allowance equivalent to Maternity Allowance and relaxing rules that restrict self-employed parents from fully benefiting from parental leave.
In addition, the WEC calls for simplifying the current shared parental leave system to better promote gender equality by enabling more equitable sharing of leave between parents. The overarching goal of these recommendations is to modernise the UK’s parental leave system to better reflect contemporary family needs, support fathers more fully, and tackle persistent cultural and economic barriers that limit fathers’ involvement in early child caregiving.
The government has responded by launching a comprehensive review of the parental leave system, with a public call for evidence closing in August 2025. The aim is to align policy reforms with the objectives outlined in the WEC's report. Claire McCartney, the policy and practice manager at the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, gave evidence to the committee during its inquiry.
The CIPD has been advocating for extending statutory paternity leave and pay, and McCartney expressed her support for the WEC's recommendations. She stated, "The WEC's report is a significant step forward in pushing for change in the UK's parental leave system. It's essential that we create a more supportive and equitable system that reflects the realities of working parents' lives."
The WEC's report highlights the need for a meaningful review of the UK's parental leave system to ensure it effectively supports and empowers working parents. As the review progresses, it is hoped that the UK will join other countries in providing more comprehensive and equitable parental leave policies, helping to promote gender equality and better support working families.
- The Women and Equalities Committee's report proposes that paternity leave in the United Kingdom should be extended from the current two weeks to six weeks to better support fathers.
- To boost uptake and cultural change, the WEC suggests making paternity pay a day-one right, aligning it with maternity pay levels, and offering flexible leave options within the first year of a child's life.
- To address cultural barriers and encourage more fathers to take leave, the WEC recommends learning from successful international approaches, introducing a Paternity Allowance, and relaxing rules that restrict self-employed parents from benefiting from parental leave.
