UK employment expert Croner, part of Wolters Kluwer UK has said that the announcements by Beverly Hughes, the Minster for Children to double the length of paternity leave will fuel the working class divide.
Richard Smith, employment services director at Croner, believes that this is another example of the government supporting the middle classes.
ìThe Government thought that the extension of maternity leave and other family-friendly measures, which came into force this April, would benefit thousands of working families. However, the trends in the uptake of statutory paid and unpaid leave suggest that it will only benefit the financially secure middle class.î
Trends in unpaid leave show that few people who take advantage of these types of benefit are typically within the middle-class income range. A trend, which determines that future increases, will impact employers with professional service companies more than those within the trades industries.
Richard adds: ìEconomically most employees require their full salary to survive and cannot take advantage of any extended unpaid or even paid paternity leave. If it is the Governmentís intention to improve the work/life balance of all parents this suggested measure would not solve the issue. What they should be doing instead is working with employers to adopt a best practice approach to managing work/life balance, such as offering flexible or home working.î
Additional Paternity Leave Only a Realistic Option for Middle Class, Says Croner
Croner has said that the announcements by Beverly Hughes, the Minster for Children to double the length of paternity leave will fuel the working class divide
