Government urged to take bold action on shared parental leave

A new report from the UK Government’s Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) has highlighted a range of issues with the UK’s current parental leave system and urged the government to address them as part of its proposed review. The report, Equality at Work: Paternity and Shared Parental Leave, argues that the existing system requires substantial reform to better reflect the needs of modern families and working parents. It identifies shortcomings such as low statutory pay, limited leave entitlements for fathers and partners, and the complexity of the Shared Parental Leave (SPL) scheme.

According to the Committee, the UK’s level of statutory parental pay has not kept pace with inflation and falls short when compared to similar economies. It recommends that paternity pay should be aligned with maternity pay in the first six weeks—set at 90 percent of average earnings—within the current parliamentary term. In the longer term, the report suggests gradually increasing statutory pay across the board to a higher proportion of average earnings or the real Living Wage.

The WEC also calls for greater flexibility and access to paternity leave. It encourages the government to consider amending the Employment Rights Bill to introduce a day-one right to paid paternity leave, or at a minimum, to include this issue in its review in consultation with employers. The current two-week statutory paternity leave period is described as out of sync with the needs of families and insufficient in promoting more equitable parenting roles.

The report also highlights the exclusion of self-employed fathers from current entitlements. It proposes the introduction of a statutory Paternity Allowance, similar to the existing Maternity Allowance, to provide support for self-employed and non-employed working parents.

Improving cultural attitudes and removing barriers that discourage fathers from taking parental leave is also recommended. The Committee suggests the government review evidence from initiatives such as the National Children’s Bureau’s A Better Start to understand how to encourage more equitable sharing of parenting responsibilities.

In terms of the Shared Parental Leave scheme, the report argues that it is currently too complex and underused. The Committee recommends simplifying eligibility criteria—such as employment status, earnings thresholds, and time-in-role requirements—with the goal of expanding access to a wider range of families, including those who are self-employed or on lower incomes.

Looking to international examples, the report points to models such as Germany’s “partnership bonus” and Portugal’s “sharing bonus”, which offer additional paid leave when both parents share childcare responsibilities more equally. The WEC suggests the UK could learn from these approaches as part of its reform process.

The Committee also calls for the government’s review to take into account the needs of kinship carers, single-parent households, and families with multiple births, to ensure a more inclusive system.

Commenting on the report, Women and Equalities Committee Chair and Labour MP Sarah Owen said the UK’s current parental leave provision does not adequately support working families and requires significant reform to align with modern expectations and international standards.

She said: “It’s essential the Government’s proposed review addresses the system’s fundamental challenges, including low statutory pay, inadequate leave periods for fathers and others, and the complexity of the Shared Parental Leave scheme. While substantial reform will require investment, the long-term benefits—both social and economic—could be significant.”

The Committee has urged ministers to move beyond incremental change and commit to a comprehensive overhaul of the system during the course of this Parliament.