Calls for families to receive three-month well-paid 'daddy leave'

The argument has been made in a ground-breaking study Cash or Carry, published by the Fatherhood Institute.

It reports that fathers are spending more time engaging directly in the care of very young children than ever before, with many said to be craving better flexibility between their work and home lives.

However, it also found that employed fathers are almost twice as likely as mothers to have requests for flexible working turned down, and to fear that asking to work flexibly will damage their careers.

Employers are also more likely to “top up” maternity pay levels than paternity or shared parental leave pay levels.

The research, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, also calls for a change in the implementation of the Equalities Act to tackle inequalities at work experienced by fathers.

It adds the government’s guidance on the Equalities Act should define negative representation of fathers’ caretaking in the workplace as sex discrimination, with appropriate sanctions against discriminating employers introduced.

Adrienne Burgess, the study’s author and joint-CEO of the Fatherhood Institute, said: “Existing employment policy and practice is out of step with parents’ lives and aspirations. They cause mothers and fathers economic and personal hardship and damage children. This jobs plan gives both parents an equal platform to do their best for their children.”

Today, Fathers Network Scotland sounded its support for a radical overhaul of employment law and for the three-month period of “daddy leave”.

It also highlighted new Scottish research among small-to-medium enterprises, which found that dads crave family-friendly working practices, but that they need it to be explicitly offered with senior managers leading the way. Lack of clarity around the policy and fear of detrimental effect on fathers’ careers also inhibit take-up.

Samantha Pringle, director of Fathers Network Scotland, said: “This significant research – conducted over decades – shows how far we have come in recent years but how far we still have to go.

"The research launched today on SMEs shows that that dads want change. But to give them the time to have great relationships with their kids and to provide support to help raise school attainment levels, we need flexible working practices which are culturally, socially and economically acceptable.

“When it comes to those three acceptability factors, studies have shown there is disparity between dads from lower income families and those in higher earning jobs, meaning that not all families have a choice as to whether dads are as involved in the early years as they could be.

"Daddy leave should not be prescriptive as to where or who they work for, what they do or how much they earn.”

By law, mothers are entitled to 39 weeks of statutory maternity pay, but employers do not have to pay their full salary for that period. Fathers are only entitled to two weeks’ pay, also at a lower rate than the full salary, and that leave has to be taken within 56 days of the birth.

A minority of fathers are currently entitled to up to 50 weeks of shared parental leave, of which 37 are paid, but take-up remains minimal due mainly to restricted eligibility and wage replacement rates set at £140.98 per week – less than half the national minimum wage.

However, last month Aviva announced it would offer its 16,000 employees 26 weeks' leave on full basic pay, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation.

Alan Delaney is a lawyer with Dentons in Edinburgh

CASE STUDY: The world is changing ... more fathers expect greater flexibility at work

BEING a father can mean many different things to different people, but one thing that all might agree on is that fatherhood is, first and foremost, about being there.

Bread-winning is not necessarily the core remit of males today and, indeed, many more dads are coming to appreciate the benefits of a more comprehensive family life – both for themselves and their young ones.

The joy to be taken from completing the morning school runs, the afternoon pick ups, or tackling the lunch feeds and nap times is something that cannot be underestimated for a growing number of families.

However, there is not always the opportunity to do so. Paternity leave is set at two weeks and in some circumstances, taking a break from work can be damaging on the whole, perhaps even sparking personal hardships within family life.

Alan Delaney, an employment lawyer with Dentons in Edinburgh, hopes to see a societal change in the way families can approach the precarious work-life balance that comes with a new arrival.

He said: “As a father of two, having an agile workplace has made such a difference to my relationships both at home and at work.

"My work life is flexible insofar as I can work from home one day a week and can take part in things such as picking and dropping the kids at school and nursery.

"That means I can still do as much work as I would from the office, but that I get to see the little one come out from the school gates. It's the little things; they can't be underestimated and would be really appreciated by fathers.

"It also gives my wife the day off from that and gives granny a break too."

The 39-year-old added: "I have a very supportive employer, but the challenge will be how do we create a society where dads are able to request time off and to work like this as the norm.

"No doubt, the world is changing and more and more fathers are expecting a greater deal of flexibility, but we do need more employers to adopt family-friendly policies.

"It's a monumental time and it should be a matter of right that fathers can take the time. And if we can do that then it will have a benefits for mums, dads and, most importantly, the kids."