How poor paternity offerings in the UK is harming mental health

As Father’s Day approaches in the UK, we look into how the UK’s paternity leave offering is harming fathers’ mental health.

As part of ongoing conversations around work-life balance, gender equality, and family well-being, one group that often remains overlooked is new fathers. Understandably, the focus is often on mothers given the physical and mental demands of pregnancy and childbirth, but mental health of fathers is often forgotten about.

Current UK statutory paternity leave

Currently, statutory paternity leave in the UK allows eligible fathers to take up to two weeks off work which must be taken within 56 days of the birth (or the due date, if the baby is early). The rules on start and end dates are slightly different where an employee is adopting. Statutory paternity leave is paid at £187.18 per week (or 90% of their average weekly earnings, whichever is lower). For many households, especially those already struggling with the financial pressures of a new baby, this pay cut makes even a short leave from work unaffordable.

Looking at family leave entitlement in Sweden, where each parent is entitled to 240 days of paid parental leave, or Norway, where fathers can take up to 15 weeks at nearly full pay, the UK’s statutory offering simply doesn’t compare.

The impact of poor paternity offerings

New research has revealed that 45% of UK fathers experience at least two symptoms of clinical anxiety or depression in their baby’s first year. This is a significant increase from previous data (National Childbirth Trust) which suggested that around 1 in 10 fathers experience postnatal depression, with many more suffering from anxiety, exhaustion, and a sense of inadequacy following the birth of a child. Polls from The Dad Shift and Movember found that nearly one in 15 new dads had experienced suicidal thoughts in their first year of fatherhood, and one in 12 reported frightening thoughts such as deliberately hurting their baby.

These feelings are exacerbated by the abrupt return to work, often just days after the birth of a child. Without sufficient time to bond with their newborn, support their partner following the birth, and adjust to the emotional demands of parenthood, many fathers feel isolated and overwhelmed. 82% of fathers have said that improving paternity leave is the single biggest action the government could take to support new dads’ mental health.

UK companies are able to offer enhanced paternity leave at their discretion, whether that is a longer period of time off or at an enhanced rate of pay (or both), however even where companies offer more generous leave options, fathers often feel there is a cultural stigma that discourages them from taking any extended leave. The outdated view seems to remain that women are the primary caregivers and men are the providers, which continues to undermine fathers’ involvement in the early days of parenting, reinforcing gender stereotypes.

The role of shared parental leave

Shared parental leave is currently available in the UK to eligible employees, but the uptake in practice remains low. The most recent HMRC data suggests that only 2% of eligible families take advantage of the shared parental leave scheme. Research suggests that there are many reasons for low uptake, including the statutory pay, fear of negative career repercussions and employer attitudes, cultural gender norms, lack of awareness and the complexity of the rules.

Normalise paternal involvement in family life

In the UK, statutory paternity leave provisions are not only minimal, but they may be actively detrimental to men’s mental health and family dynamics. It is important that employers adopt a culture where paternal involvement is normalised and valued.

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