Very soon, parents with babies born due on or after 5 April will be entitled to sharing up to 50 weeks of parental leave. And so far, 285,000 working couples a year are expected to be eligible, “giving their employer eight weeks’ notice of the pattern of leave they intend to take”.
“We recognise that this isn’t going to to be easy for those at the forefront of the change,” said Swinson. “But we also know that for many dads the nerves they feel about having a conversation with their boss around leave will be worth it in the end. “Countless research studies show that more time with dads early on leads to better outcome for children, not to mention the special family bonds it creates. We also know that many employers are incredibly supportive and keen to offer mums and dads more flexibility. “Employers will see the benefit in terms of staff loyalty and providing women the option to return to work earlier. That’s why employers like Shell, Deloitte, Linklaters, PWC and the Civil Service are offering parents enhanced shared parental pay in line with their maternity packages.” Read more about shared parental leave:- How does the UK truly feel about men and women sharing parental leave and childcare?
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