CIPD research shows paternity leave take-up will only rise if paternity pay does

The Governmentís Work and Families Bill should include more financial support rather than extend unpaid paternity leave if the Government wants to improve paternity leave take-up. This is the key conclusion from research commissioned by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), published in the last year, which finds that:

Less than half (46%) of fathers said they would take paternity leave at the current rate of pay if they had another child;

However, at 90% of full pay the proportion of fathers saying they would take paternity leave increases to four out of five (80%), and at full pay the figure rises to nearly nine out of ten (87%).

The supporting employee interviews revealed some fathers are not using their existing entitlement to two weeks statutory paternity leave, preferring instead to take time off as annual leave on full pay.

The research, which covers over 1,000 UK workers, including nearly 200 fathers of children under 16, thus shows clearly that any effort by government to improve rights for new fathers must be accompanied by financial support. The CIPD still however supports any improvements to unpaid leave ñ even if these are unlikely to lead to a surge in up-take based on our research findings.

Fathers are currently entitled to two weeks paternity leave paid at the current rate of 106 per week. And interestingly, the majority of workers consider the current length of leave to be adequate:

Half of employees (53%) consider the current entitlement is ëabout rightí;

Six per cent think the current entitlement is ëtoo muchí, but a significant minority 41% think it is ënot enoughí ñ younger workers are more likely to fit into the latter category.

Rebecca Clake, Resourcing Adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, said:

ìWe would have expected the rate of paternity pay to be one of the factors in the decision to take paternity leave. But with less than half of fathers willing to consider taking leave at the current 106 a week, and four out of five wanting to take up the opportunity at 90% of full pay, the implications for any further family friendly legislation are clear.

ìFlexible employment policies are becoming embedded in the UK world of work. But fathers tell us they canít afford to spend time with their newborn children at current rates of paternity pay.î

The research also shows that British workers are adopting more flexible working practices, in many cases with the active encouragement of their employers.

Other key findings ñ Flexible working:

Four out of five UK workers (80%) say their employer offers some form of flexible working. Part time working (available to 53% of workers) and variable working hours ñ arriving late or leaving early ñ (51%) are the most common.

Almost half of all employees (47%) say their employers encourage flexible working ñ only a quarter say their employers discourage it.

Women and workers under the age of 30 are more likely to ask for flexible forms of working ñ but, when requests are made, employers are equally likely to grant them for men or women.