In National Work Life Week, we hear from Dr Holly Birkett and Dr Sarah Forbes on how employers can take steps to encourage men to take on more caring responsibilities.
Attitudes towards shared parenting have changed dramatically over the past decade. In 2018, the Shared Parental Leave was introduced in 2015 and take up has increased year-on-year but rates remain low.
The rate of people taking up paternity leave, which has been available since 2003, is much higher, but this leave is only available for up to two weeks with statutory pay, giving fathers little opportunity to get actively involved in childcare in the first year. There are numerous reasons why behaviours lag behind attitudes in this area, including: structural issues with parental leave policies; gender income inequality; men’s concerns about career implications and how taking leave might be viewed at work and in their communities.
The pandemic has resulted in dads stepping up to provide more care
Research undertaken during the COVID-19 lockdown by the Universities of Birmingham and Kent, with managers and employees, shows that during the COVID-19 lockdown
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