All new dads should get THREE MONTHS paternity leave, MPs say
Women and Equalities committee is calling for ministers to look at giving fathers 12 weeks off 'so they can bond with kids'
WORKING dads should be offered three months’ leave in their child’s first year, MPs will suggest today.
The Women and Equalities committee called for ministers to look at 12 weeks off so they can bond with kids just as mothers do.
Their report says a “macho culture” in the workplace means dads do not feel able to ask bosses for leave because they fear harming their careers.
Committee chairman Maria Miller said: “If we want a society where women and men have equality, I would strongly urge ministers to consider our findings.
“Effective policies for statutory paternity pay, parental leave and flexible working are vital to meet the needs of families.”
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The report calls for 12 weeks leave for a father as an alternative to shared parental leave, which offers dads time off but is little used.
It also recommends setting statutory paternity pay at 90 per cent of a father’s wages — but capped for high earners.
Sam Smethers, chief executive of the Fawcett Society, said: “Our leave system is still driven by a 1950s model of family life. We need a radical re-think.”