Why parental leave is failing families
Published: 22 Sep 2025
By Simon Kelleher, Head of Policy & Influencing at Working Families
Having a baby is a huge transition for parents, and for many, no sooner have they adjusted to a new arrival, their thoughts turn to returning to work. As the government carry out their review of parental leave with the goal to modernise the system, we take a look at how the current policies are letting down families, and what the government should be considering to build better support that benefits everyone.
What is the parental leave review?
The government are currently looking at all types of parental leave, such as maternity, paternity, adoption leave and shared parental leave, as well as considering how those who are currently not entitled to any leave are affected. Beginning in July, organisations, campaigners and individuals were invited to provide evidence on the areas the government wants any future policies to consider. Working Families, along with other organisations and academics had previously submitted recommendations that the review should take on board, that went on to shape the review.
Undermining maternal health
Having a baby can take a huge toll on a mother’s physical and mental health. Not only is paternity leave of two weeks not nearly enough to support the 42% of women who have a caesarean section or experienced health complications, but the current system of maternity leave is also failing to provide the financial safety net many women need to take the time they need to fully recover. Nearly 8 in 10 mothers don’t take the time they needed with their baby because of money worries, and mothers are returning eight weeks earlier than those not facing financial concerns. The picture is significantly worse for women from lower-income households (under £50k a year), who take almost four months less maternity leave than the UK average. Single parents in particular, who have no partner to share care or income, face challenges that can exacerbate financial hardship and mental health issues.
An invisible struggle
In some families, there are parents who have no access to leave at all. This applies to 21% of fathers and 14% of mothers who have no access, either because they are self-employed, in insecure work or haven’t been in a job long enough to qualify, but are still expected to cope with a new baby with no time off and no financial buffer, or less generous maternity benefits. There are too many families falling through the gaps of the current system, such as kinship carers, who often take on caring responsibilities in the toughest of circumstances, but have no legal right to time to adjust to caring for a new baby. They, alongside self-employed adoptive parents – another group who have no access to leave – are often forced to use their own leave, or leave their jobs altogether, to fulfil their duties.
Entrenching gender inequality
The imbalance of entitlement between mothers and fathers cements women as the primary carer and kickstarts the ‘motherhood penalty’. This refers to the fact that interruption in women’s careers caused by their role as the default carer means that their careers never catch up, perpetuating the gender pay gap. The current system doesn’t align with, never mind facilitate, modern ideas of parenting. More and more fathers want to lean in, and when decently paid leave is on offer, they take it, enabling women to return to the workforce sooner and normalising equal caregiving.
Hindering child development
The lack of financial support for parents means they are returning to work when the money runs out, not when its best for the baby. Decisions are determined by financial situation not by the needs of the child, meaning lower-income households fare worst in returning before they, or their child, is ready – only 14% of low-income households able to access enhanced paternity leave, compared to 35% of higher-income households. Research carried out by the University of Leeds and the Fatherhood Institute found that early caregiving by fathers supports child development, with long-lasting, life-altering effects. Except that the system doesn’t promote father involvement – in fact, it hinders it. We are letting down future generations by not giving them the best start in life. From the off we’re setting the scene for inequality, particularly for those who don’t happen to have two parents, or a father with a secure, well-paid job.
Suffocating choice
In the current system, choice is replaced by necessity – almost half (47%) of parents return to work before they’re ready due to financial constraints. The lack of financial support, and the complicated and confusing entitlements restricts families’ ability to co-parent effectively. Instead of empowering parents to make decisions based on what suits their family, they are making decisions based on policies that are rooted in outdated ideas of caregiving. Such policies are echoed in workplace cultures in which gender norms are reinforced, and where stigma and the fear of career repercussions are rife.
Stunting economic growth
A system that doesn’t support fathers to play a caring role early on harms women’s employment, as patterns of care and expectations become entrenched over time. But it’s not just women, but the economy, that pays the price. The University of Bath and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation research found that extending Statutory Paternity Leave to 6 weeks at 90% of a father’s average weekly earnings could see a £2.68 billion to the wider economy, in part due to women working more.
Returning to work whilst still coping with the transition of having a baby can impact productivity and undermine motivation. Conversely, working in a culture that values and supports the role of parents can engage employees, as shown in the Working Families Benchmark 2024, where employers offering enhanced parental leave and flexible working saw improved retention, productivity, and reduced staff turnover.
An evidence-based argument for change
Across the globe, countries are proving that non-transferable, well-paid leave can transform care-giving patterns. Spain’s equalising of maternity and paternity leave, alongside making part of it compulsory, non-transferable and fully paid saw take-up among fathers shoot up from 46% to 75%. And in Quebec, parents who each take eight weeks of leave receive additional weeks as a bonus, encouraging shared care, and leading to higher uptake among fathers and improved maternal employment continuity.
A more equal future
To achieve more equal parenting, the UK must significantly reform the existing system, by:
- Introducing individual, reserved rights to paid leave for fathers and partners. By recognising fatherhood as central to caregiving, we can move beyond outdated assumptions. Reserved, well-paid leave for fathers is essential to achieving gender equality, supporting maternal health, and enabling co-parenting.
- Reforming Shared Parental Leave to make it simpler and more accessible. Any future system must be easy to access and navigate for both parents and employers, especially those in insecure work and small businesses.
- Extending eligibility to all working parents, including the self-employed, so that no parent is excluded, regardless of employment status or family structure, from accessing leave and pay from day one.
- Recognising and supporting kinship carers, who currently lack access to leave despite fulfilling parental roles.
The government is faced with a huge opportunity to open the door to change and bring parental leave into the 21st century. They have the chance to design a system that reflects the realities of today’s workforce and family life that will benefit, not just families, but the economy and future generations too.
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