Jon Pearce: From Here to Paternity

Last week I joined a debate in parliament calling for better paternity leave. I had to declare a personal interest that my wife and I are very soon expecting a baby.

Last week I joined a debate in parliament calling for better paternity leave. I had to declare a personal interest that my wife and I are very soon expecting a baby. Like many dads I will be taking paternity leave to spend precious time with our new baby and support my wife after the birth.

Sadly, our paternity leave entitlement remains the worst in Europe with new dads only entitled to a maximum of two weeks’ paid leave, at a maximum rate of £184 a week.

This lack of support has so many unintended consequences not just for the dads but also children and especially the mums.

Research has shown that children whose dads took time off when they were babies showed an improved performance at school, and improved mental health as they grew older.

The impacts are arguably most negatively felt by mums. Firstly, there is the risk to their health and wellbeing. In the debate I gave the example that after a woman has a caesarean section the medical advice is not to drive for up to 6 weeks. In some of our towns and villages here in High Peak if you cannot drive you may not be able to go shopping or do the school run for the new baby’s siblings.

Secondly, it entrenches the mum’s role as the primary caregiver. As campaigner, Joeli Brearley, argues if we consistently put mums and dads in two different boxes, with mums looking after babies and dads having to go back to work after those first two weeks, it is mums who learn how to feed the child pancakes and dads who do not. That everyday caring for children is at the heart of being able to look after them, and slowly but surely it ends up being easier for the mum to care for the child and the dad to take a step back.

And finally, there is the motherhood penalty in terms of pay and career progression. In countries that offer at least six weeks of paternity leave, the gender pay gap is 4% smaller with proportionally more women participating in the workforce.

I am pleased that the new Labour government has made a start by legislating to make paternity leave a day one right and by committing to a review of parental leave but there is much more to do. When I return from my paternity leave, I will continue to campaign for better entitlements for all dads because paternity leave is good for dads, for mums, for children and for our economy.