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Parental leave in the UK is a “manager lottery” costing employers millions

Published: 3 Jun 2026

A major new UK workforce study reveals that parental leave isn’t failing because of workplace policy, it’s failing because of delivery. The LEIA UK Report 2026 shows that 76% of a parent’s experience depends entirely on their line manager, creating a “manager lottery” that is pushing parents out of the workforce and driving millions in avoidable costs for employers. 

The report, based on responses from more than 5,300 UK employees and HR leaders, found that despite most organisations offering enhanced parental leave on paper, the reality for parents is significantly different.

Key Findings:

  • 1 in 3 parents left a job because their employer failed to meet their needs.
  • 33% received no structured reboarding after parental leave.
  • 45% felt pressured to cut leave short, with women more affected than men.
  • 48% had flexible working requests mixed or denied, despite policies promising flexibility.
  • Only 3% of organisations track parental leave outcomes properly.

For a typical 1,000-employee organisation, the report estimates over £1 million in avoidable, in direct workforce cost each year from attrition, sick leave, and legal exposure.

Astrid Gyllenkrok, CEO & Co-Founder, LEIA Health, said:

The biggest surprise wasn’t that organisations lack parental leave policies. Most already have them. The problem is that delivery still depends on individual managers, making outcomes difficult to predict, measure or improve. Organisations that standardise the journey and support managers consistently can reduce risk, improve retention and create a better experience for every parent.

The report highlights a structural execution gap: HR believes support is in place, but parents experience something very different. While employers intend flexibility and support, delivery depends heavily on individual managers, creating inconsistency. Women are 1.4 times more likely than men to leave an employer due to poor parental support. The impact extends beyond retention: 41% of women reported that workplace parental leave policies influenced decisions about whether and when to have children. These findings suggest that inconsistent parental support is not only pushing some women out of organisations, but also affecting decisions about starting or growing a family.

Rachel Grocott, CEO at Pregnant Then Screwed, said:

This data reinforces what we’ve been hearing at Pregnant Then Screwed for years: that the lack of workplace support for mums and parents actively shapes family planning decisions, as well as impacting negatively on women’s career progression and pensions. This isn’t just a workplace problem – it’s shaping the country’s future. Yet fixing this isn’t complicated: make parental support something parents can rely on. Because no parent should have to just cross their fingers and hope for fair treatment when it comes to this most vital of life stages

The report identifies six priorities for employers:

  • Standardise the journey – ensure the parental leave process works end-to-end, consistently, for every parent.
  • Equip managers – provide real-time tools and decision support.
  • Reboard with purpose – make returning to work structured, not ad hoc.
  • Measure what matters – track retention, satisfaction and reboarding quality.
  • Support wellbeing – prioritise parents’ physical and mental health.
  • Normalise leave for all – promote parental leave across all genders and levels of seniority.

Government leadership is essential with clear national standards, guidance, and expectations to help turn good intentions into consistent practice, giving employers the clarity they need and parents the confidence they deserve.

Jane van Zyl, Chief Executive Officer, Working Families, said: 

No parent should have to rely on luck to get the support they’re entitled to. Employers want to do the right thing, but without clear national standards the system remains too inconsistent. The government’s current review of parental leave is an opportunity to give employers clarity, parents confidence, and turn good practice into standard practice.

Together, these changes would replace the manager lottery with a consistent system that works for every parent. The organisations that lead over the next decade will treat parental leave not as an HR process, but as a strategic workforce investment, measurable, consistent and human-centred.

Download the LEIA report 2026

About the LEIA UK Report 2026  

The LEIA UK Report 2026 examines the gap between parental‑leave policy and real workplace experience across UK organisations. The study is based on 5,304 UK respondents, including 4,780 employees and 524 HR leaders, across 22 industries. 82% of respondents had taken parental leave in the last five years, and the sample was 86% women and 12% men. Respondents represented a wide range of organisation sizes, including 48% from organisations with 250–999 employees, 28% from organisations with 1,000–4,999 employees, and 19% from organisations with 5,000+ employees. The report was conducted by Leia Health, with support from Pregnant Then Screwed and Working Families.