The UK has one of many “worst statutory go away provides for fathers and different dad and mom within the developed world”, the chairwoman of the Girls and Equalities Committee has warned.
Sarah Owen mentioned the UK’s parental go away system was in “pressing want of an overhaul to suit with the truth of working dad and mom’ lives”.
“The UK’s parental go away system has fallen far behind most comparable international locations,” she added.
Her feedback come as a brand new report by her Home of Commons committee discovered {that a} most of two weeks’ paternity go away is “fully out of step with how most {couples} wish to share their parenting duties” and “entrenches outdated gender stereotypes about caring”.
Explainer: How paternity leave in the UK compares to other countries
The UK’s fee of parental pay is “fully out of kilter with the price of dwelling, has not saved tempo with inflation and is way beneath charges in most comparable international locations”, the report states.
The Girls and Equalities Committee has urged the federal government to think about elevating paternity pay to the extent of maternity pay in the course of the first six weeks, which equals 90% of somebody’s common earnings.
It additionally known as on the federal government to both amend the Employment Rights Invoice to legislate for a day one proper to paid go away or decide to “contemplating this very important change inside its assessment” in session with employers.
The report said that working dad and mom “will probably be let down by a assessment that leads solely to tinkering across the edges of the system”.
In its report, the committee additionally beneficial a phased introduction of will increase to statutory pay throughout the system to enhance the charges for all working dad and mom as much as 80% or extra of common earnings or the actual dwelling wage.
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Moreover, it urged the federal government to think about choices for offering statutory paid go away for all self-employed working fathers as a part of its assessment of the parental go away system, as the dearth of provision for self-employed fathers was “deeply unfair”.
The report suggests contemplating the introduction of a paternity allowance for self-employed fathers and different dad and mom, just like the maternity allowance.
The upcoming assessment into the parental go away system should look at the perform and necessity of eligibility guidelines, with a view to “simplifying or eradicating the employment standing, time in service and earnings standards”, the committee added.
