The UK government is under increasing pressure to address significant shortcomings in the country’s parental leave system, following a warning from the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) about its “fundamental failings.” Despite the introduction of shared parental leave (SPL) in 2015, uptake remains alarmingly low, with just a small fraction of eligible mothers and fathers taking advantage of the scheme. This low participation highlights serious barriers that prevent many families from benefiting fully from parental leave policies designed to promote equality and support child-rearing.
One of the main issues cited by the WEC is the inadequate financial support offered during parental leave. Currently, statutory paternity leave provides only two weeks of pay at a rate below the national minimum wage, which is insufficient for many families, especially those with lower incomes. Moreover, self-employed fathers receive no statutory paternity leave despite contributing to National Insurance, creating further inequality within the system. These financial constraints deter many parents from taking leave, which in turn impacts the goal of more balanced sharing of childcare responsibilities between men and women.
The WEC has launched an inquiry to gather evidence and insights on how to make the parental leave system more accessible, flexible, and effective. The inquiry aims to understand the reasons behind the low uptake of shared parental leave, including how factors such as ethnicity, income, education, and job type influence access and use. The committee is also looking at the broader impacts of parental leave policies on gender equality in the workplace and the labor market, seeking solutions that can create long-lasting positive change.
In response to these challenges, the government has acknowledged the need for reform. Recent legislative proposals, such as the Employment Rights Bill, include measures to strengthen family-friendly workplace rights, like making paternity leave a right from the first day of employment. However, these changes do not yet go far enough to address the core issues around leave duration, pay rates, and inclusivity. The government has committed to a comprehensive review of the parental leave system as a foundational step toward broader reform.
The WEC’s efforts, alongside government recognition of these problems, reflect a growing consensus that the current parental leave framework needs modernization. Stakeholders ranging from employers and trade unions to working parents themselves are being consulted to develop recommendations that will better support families, promote gender equality, and adapt to the realities of today’s workforce. Without significant changes, many families may continue to face financial hardship and limited opportunities to share childcare duties equally, undermining progress toward a fairer, more inclusive society.
