Why Inclusive Parental Leave Supports Families

If we want better fathers, find them more than two weeks to become one: In the UK, statutory paternity leave is capped at just 2 weeks. Speaking from experience in week 4 of my paternity at home with my new daughter Kaia - that's not enough. It takes time to bond, and the "baby bubble" is a very special moment in your life where change is so powerful, taking the time to adjust matters not just for your personal life, but work too. 𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄? In countries like Sweden, where dads get up to 480 days of shared parental leave (with 90 days reserved just for them), fathers who take extended leave see a 7% boost in their long-term involvement with kids. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁? Kids with better emotional health and cognitive skills - a Norwegian study found children of leave-taking dads scored higher in school by age 5. 𝗦𝗼, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲? Companies offering generous paternity leave report 25% lower turnover rates among new parents, according to Deloitte. McKinsey data shows that involved fathers lead to happier moms returning to work sooner, closing the gender pay gap by up to 15% in progressive policies. 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝗱, 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝘂𝗺 𝘁𝗼𝗼. Yet, in the US, only 23% of private-sector workers get any paid family leave, and globally, the average paternity leave is a measly 9 days! In the UK specifically, while shared parental leave allows up to 50 weeks to be split between parents (with 37 weeks paid), uptake among dads remains low - only about 1-2% take it, often due to financial barriers and cultural norms. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴: The UK government launched a major review last month (July 2025) to overhaul the system, with proposals floating to extend standalone paternity leave to 6 weeks at 90% pay, which could boost family well-being and the economy by billions, according to reports. At my company Heights we don't want to wait. We offer 6 weeks full pay, 3 weeks at home and 3 weeks for you to take off whenever you need it (from experience, this is a few months later when you can be more helpful to mum and baby). 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 And the needs are different too (with our toddler taking up most of my time and attention), so the flexibility that allows families to decide how to make it work best for them is really the policy employers should try to design for, if they can. My bet is offering flexibility, more thought, and believing the data that it will result in happier kids, dads, mums and colleagues - is worth it. What do you think? Let me know in the comments 👇 PS: follow me Dan Murray🧠, for more girl dad/business/entrepreneurship content like this 👊

“Until men can bear children and breastfeed, you can give them all the time off in the world - it’ll still be mum left holding the baby.” OK Celia, I want to take this moment to say (respectfully but firmly) that is nonsense. Yes, there are biological differences. No one’s denying that. But that’s not the point. The more important point is this: if we never give men time, space, or the expectation to step up as equal parents, then of course mum ends up holding the baby; both literally and figuratively. What enhanced paternity leave actually supports dads to do is: • Bond with their child, which is an essential foundation for long-term involvement and better outcomes for everyone. • Support their partner’s physical and emotional recovery after childbirth. • Learn how to parent independently, rather than being the backup to mum’s default. • Rewire their brain through hands-on caregiving, building empathy, confidence, and connection. This isn’t about erasing the role of mothers. It’s about sharing the load. Because here’s the real issue: 80% of the gender pay gap is driven by the motherhood penalty, and as long as fathers aren’t supported to take an equal role in caregiving, women will continue to pay the price at home and at work. That statement isn’t just outdated, it’s damaging. It limits dads, exhausts mums, and reinforces the inequities we are trying to solve. So no, it’s not enough to say “men can’t breastfeed.” They can feed. They can comfort. They can co-parent. And they can absolutely hold the baby...if we give them the time and expect them to use it. Let’s stop debating the bare minimum and start imagining what shared care really looks like. #EqualParenting #PaternityLeave #ParentingOutLoud #CareWorkIsWork #GenderEquity #CloseTheGap #ModernFatherhood #ParentalLeave

Mums “need” parental leave. Dads “can take” parental leave. 👆🏽This is the atttitude that still informs our approach to parental leave in Australia and many other countries around the world. An attitude that stems from our bias towards women being caregivers and men not being caregivers. We often talk about gender equity in terms that reference the benefits to women and the organisations which employ them. But what about the benefits to men and the organisations that employ them? What if we started to truly recognise that dads “need” parental leave? That it isn’t a “nice to have” or a luxury… But rather builds a deeper connection and bond between fathers and their children. An increased level of confidence in parenting and a greater chance of equal parenting into the future. More harmony in personal relationships. Increased loyalty and happiness when they return to work, and in return greater productivity. An easier return to work for their partners and ability for women to lean into their own professional aspirations and desires. And all the wonderful skills learnt while solo parenting that have direct application to the way someone shows up at work. Now before anyone talks about biology driving need in the comments, of course biology is relevant, but in solely focusing on biology, we miss all the other reasons why men having access to (and being actively encourage to take and use) ALL of their leave is important. Gender equity is about all of us, not just some of us. And it 💯does not need to be a zero sum game. #StoriesByNiti #GenderEquity #ParentalLeave

The moment that changed my perspective on paternity leave: when men on my team pushed HARD for equal leave. I initially pushed back. My mindset was that you only deserved the full time if you were physically birthing the child. I was completely wrong. I cringe thinking back. But this pivotal realization changed my entire approach to benefits design. I learned that when fathers don't take substantial leave, they don't establish equal partnership in childcare and their partners shoulder disproportionate responsibility. Then, both parents experience unnecessary strain. And women's careers face greater long-term impact. None of that sat right with me. I looked up some stats. When fathers take meaningful paternity leave (4+ weeks): - Mothers are 26% more likely to return to work full-time - Families report 38% higher satisfaction with division of responsibilities - Maternal postpartum health outcomes improve by 17% - Father-child bonds show measurable long-term strength We have access to all of this incredible, impactful data and evidence, but paternity leave remains significantly underutilized. Even if some 70% of companies offer leave, only 31% of fathers take it. Probably because of the subtle or not-so-subtle expectations set forth by their workplaces and society. We created a culture at Compt where taking parental leave is expected and celebrated, regardless of gender. And we have had SO MANY BABIES. Auntie Amy is here for it. Oh, and, on our team everyone comes back from leave. Retention! The best gift you can give your dads is creating working conditions where they can fully embrace fatherhood.

When we had our second child (who turns 5 today!), my husband’s company offered him 16 weeks of paternity leave. He took 2 weeks… Why? While 16 weeks was the official policy, it was made clear to him that no one had ever taken more than one. Taking two weeks was pushing it. It's not enough to offer generous parental leave policies if men (or women) are discouraged from using it. And why is it critical that men (are allowed to and then actually do) take advantage of their benefits as parents? For the same reasons as women - 1) It’s their baby too! 2) The lack of paternity leave actually hurts women, because then women have to be the primary caregiver, thereby impacting their career. 3) Men also want to be equal caregivers these days, and it's not fair to them to deprive them of the opportunity to have connection and build that trusted bond with their child. As much as we need to support women’s choices and options in the workplace, we need to support men’s choices and options at home. If you’re a leader, support your working parents taking their leave. If you’re an employee, be a leader and take your leave. You’ll be part of the change in paving the way for others to do the same.

It's time for more men to take their paid leave. When my husband took paid parental leave after the birth of our fourth child, it made all the difference. He only had four weeks, but those four weeks allowed me to recover, helped him bond with our baby, and gave both of us the chance to manage the demands of our growing family. Before that, when he didn’t have leave after our other children, I was left feeling the weight of everything—at home and at work. I returned to work exhausted and overwhelmed, while trying to juggle both my career and caregiving responsibilities. The importance of fathers being present during the early stages of their child's life cannot be overstated. It’s not only beneficial for their partner and child, but it also plays a crucial role in the workplace dynamics and gender equity. When men don’t take their paid leave, they reinforce the traditional gender roles that continue to disadvantage women. Women already face the motherhood penalty—the systemic wage gap and career setbacks that often occur when they become mothers. By stepping up and taking their paid leave, men are helping dismantle the expectations that women are the only ones who can or should care for their children. It signals to employers that caregiving responsibilities are shared and should not be used against anyone in their career trajectory. Taking leave isn’t just about bonding with a newborn—it’s about creating a level playing field for women in the workplace. We need to stop assuming that women will always be the ones to step back. Let’s make paid parental leave a practice that benefits everyone. When men take their leave, we all win. #GenderEquity #PaidLeave #MotherhoodPenalty

I was live on BBC Two yesterday talking about why we need better paternity leave. And got into a fiery debate with Iain Dale 🤢 I thought I was going in to a friendly environment but ended up on enemy territory. Luckily, I came out alive and unscathed. We have one of the worst parental leave systems in Europe. Currently 20% of dads take no parental leave at all. Affordability is the main issue as statutory paternity leave is a measly £184.03 per week for 2 weeks. It's sad and devastating for families. A study by PwC estimated that closing the gender employment gap could add £43.5bn to the UK economy over the next 5 years. Enhanced paternity leave could play a role in this by enabling more equal workforce participation. Many employers have done great work to enhance paternity leave but we need to help all dads and that means Labour introducing 6 weeks paid paternity leave at 90% of salary, as a bare minimum. This is not market leading by the way, it would still put the UK in the bottom third of countries in Europe, well beyond best practise seen in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Dads want this. Modern men want to move away from harmful gendered parenting roles that define our role as solely providing. It’s damaging to our wellbeing and happiness. Enhanced paternity leave is important: 💡 It helps father/infant bonding and the dad ‘learning’ how to parent his child independently 💡It supports the mental health of both parents, currently 1 in 10 dads and 1 in 5 mums will suffer from post-natal depression 💡It helps dads to support their partners recover, especially from traumatic births and C sections 💡It supports gender equality as dads who are involved from the very start are more likely to work flexibly later on. We know 80% of the gender pay gap is attributed to the motherhood penalty and dads being equal parents is key to addressing this Snippet below and watch the full discussion (and back and forth lol) on Politics Live here: https://lnkd.in/eadZcyjm #PaternityLeave #ParentingOutLoud #EqualParentalLeave #GenderEquality

Enhanced paternity leave isn't just good for men - it's good for women too We often talk about parental leave as a benefit. But enhanced paternity leave, in particular, is a real marker of inclusion. Because when men take more leave, something powerful happens: - Caring responsibilities become more evenly shared - Women face less of the career penalty associated with early caregiving - Teams start seeing parenting as a human responsibility, not a gendered one - Companies remove one of the most persistent structural inequalities at work So, today I wanted to spotlight some of the Flexa-verified companies leading the way on enhanced, equal, or progressive parental leave 👇 💛 Vodafone - 16 weeks paid parental leave for all parents, plus the option to return on 80% hours at 100% pay 📡 Virgin Media O2 - 14 weeks paid paternity leave, plus neonatal leave and carers’ leave 🚆 SilverRail - enhanced leave covering adoption, neonatal care and shared parental leave 🍫 Mars UK - Equal Parental Leave policy, with 26 weeks at 90% pay, for every parent 🏦 ClearBank - 6 weeks paid paternity leave and neonatal leave 💛 EY - enhanced maternity and paternity leave, as well as shared parental leave 👗 ASOS.com - enhanced maternity and 8 weeks enhanced paternity leave 📞 BT Group - enhanced parental leave with 18 weeks full pay, 8 weeks half pay and 6 months statutory 🍺 The HEINEKEN Company - shared parental and adoption leave 🏦 Atom bank - enhanced parental leave and adoption leave You can discover more companies championing parental equality on Flexa ✨ ________________________ 👋 I'm Molly and I run Flexa, the platform that enables you to filter for your next employer based on what you really care about (like enhanced parental leave) 🔔 Follow me for musings on the future of work and equality

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 (not just says it does) Most companies claim to support working mothers. Then they schedule mandatory meetings at 6 PM. Reward those who respond to Slack at 10 PM. Quietly pass over mothers for promotions because they're "not as available." At Supersourcing, we designed our operations differently. Not as a perk. As infrastructure. Because I'm a working mother. I know exactly where traditional companies fail. And I refused to replicate that here. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:   - 𝗡𝗼 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟱 𝗣𝗠. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿. Because evenings are for family, rest, and life. If something needs discussion, we plan it during working hours. - 𝗙𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝘅𝗲𝗱 𝟵 𝘁𝗼 𝟲. We only need overlap for collaboration. Outside that, you should be able to work around school pickups, appointments, and your own routine. - 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱. We do not reward “who stayed online the longest.” We reward who delivered, who solved problems, and who moved work forward. - 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. If someone says, “I have my kid’s school event,” it is not seen as an excuse. It is treated like any other important commitment. - 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗸. Kids fall sick without warning. So we adjust. No guilt. No pressure. You take care of home, and we plan work accordingly. - 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲. Not “policy for documents.” Real leave that people feel safe to take, without fear that they will be sidelined later. - 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮. We do not promote based on who is always online. We promote based on skills, ownership, outcomes, and how you help the team grow. It's not "women get special treatment." It's designing work that respects full humanity for everyone. It's not a favor. It's how sustainable companies operate. You can't claim to support working mothers while designing operations that punish them for parenting. Support isn't a policy. It's operational design. 💙 #WorkingMothers #CompanyCulture #BuildingWhileBeing #Leadership #Supersourcing #WorkLifeIntegration

In his previous life as a restaurant owner, Sebastian Costello noticed a pattern. Front of house thought they had the harder job. Back of house thought exactly the same. So he made them swap. Because you don’t really understand a role until you’ve lived it. He sees families the same way. Unless you’ve spent time as the full-time carer, it’s hard to truly grasp what that role demands. And that gap in understanding shows up everywhere: in how we design work, policy and expectations for parents. Which is exactly why The Parenthood went looking for our own real-life Bandit Heeler. A dad who doesn’t just talk about being involved, but genuinely loves itand wants more dads to get a fair, meaningful shot at it with their own Bingo’s and Bluey’s. In Seb, we found him. Seb spent two years as a stay-at-home dad to Lenny and Mabel. He describes it as the hardest thing he’s ever done and something he’d do again in a heartbeat. That experience shapes his belief that care isn’t a detour from “real” work. It IS the work. Now he’s leading The Parenthood’s campaign to expand paid parental leave and make it normal, expected and supported for dads to step up at home too. Not as an exception. As a standard. Our north star is 12 months of paid parental leave at replacement wage, with a dedicated portion reserved for dads and non-birthing partners to drive real sharing of care, while ensuring solo parents can access the full entitlement. Who’s in? #PaidParentalLeave #Dads #Parenthood #ShareTheCare