Fathers in the early years

The new shared parental leave scheme is amongst the latest additions to a growing inventory of work-related family friendly policies and flexible working arrangements, developed and introduced by the UK Government over the past two decades.

Research shows consistent links between high levels of work-family conflict and adverse work outcomes, including low productivity, decreased job satisfaction and high workforce turnover. However, studies also indicate that implementing family friendly practices within the workplace, and enabling access for employed parents to flexible working improves workers’ job-satisfaction, work engagement, absenteeism and productivity as well as work relationships and staff retention. Research also shows that using family friendly policies is linked to positive outcomes for families and children.

Taking paternity leave, for example, is related to higher levels of satisfaction with the couple’s relationship.

Fathers Network Scotland, 2016