Will Dads take up the challenge and will Mums let go? 

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With the forth coming change in legislation to allow fathers to take Additional Paternity Leave (APL) which the mother would have had, you may have assumed many families would jumping up and down with delight. Equality is finally here! Mums don’t have to make the career sacrifices and dads can see what its like to care full time for the family! 

82% of employers are concerned about the implications to business of dads taking time off 

2010 research by the law firm Davies Arnald Cooper

 

Inline with the government research less than a quarter of Dads are expected to make use of their new rights whether that be 1 month or the maximum of six.  

 

So is the introduction of this legislation going to come and go without us noticing any differences at home or in the work place? Those dads who would have taken a career break, perhaps those working  in family friendly environment, will continue to be the ones who will take up the reins at home and the £128 per week benefit. Or will it depend on the earning potential of mum. Lets face it there may not be many families who can afford the main incomes to be less than £4 an hour which the benefit equates if you only cared for your family for 32 hours week or 7 hours a day. 

 

There has already been a ten fold increase in the last 10 years of fathers being the main care giver which is now a whopping 10% . Many of you will notice a growing number men at your toddler groups.  So perhaps this trajectory will continue? 

 

Some other countries have seen the uptake more positively. New Zealanders have had this ability to share parental leave (even if it is only for 12 weeks) though the New Zealand culture is often viewed as an out of date culture compared to us. Germany also introduced extended paternity leave a few years ago and many parents have seen a real change in the rate of take up. In Finland they take 1 year at 90% of salary and have still seen a growing breastfeeding rate despite some mothers deciding to return after a few months. Oh and Sweden, well I wont even tell you about their 2 years break of which the partner has to take leave or they lose it (and over 20% of Dads do take it!)

 

Financial appears to be the barrier which families think of first when considering time out. We live in a society where men are still paid significantly more than women. However  these gaps in pay will continue if employers see women as the ones who will take career breaks and work flexibility.  

 

Even when pay is taken out the equation through employers top up benefits for the present paternity leave ie full salary for two weeks, only 55% of fathers take these two weeks. So why doesn’t their desire translate into action. Is it because they don’t want to be ‘seen’ to be having a break or is the reality harder they then they think? Or perhaps is the mountain of work we are faced with on our return which puts us off having breaks? 

 

The leave in the UK also stipulates that the mother must have gone back to work and the father must not be working. But what about both of you working flexibly which again Sweden does include. Surely that’s a balanced alternative where both can feel an integral to their child’s life and feel they can continue to develop their career. Not to mention both bring home some cash.  

 

Are we socially ready to see dads admitting to their peers they would rather change nappies and play in the park than play office politics? Are mums comfortable giving up their play dates and coffee mornings to hand over to dad while they put their work shoes on again. 

 

I guess the questions that will be facing many families is who wants it more and what can you afford.  In that perfect world we can both have some and enjoy the benefits of a happy parent at home and an engaged employee at work rather than our stressed bunny default both partners presently fall into.