Statutory paternity leave in the UK is the least generous in Europe – with new dads getting less than half the minimum wage for a maximum of two weeks.
Other countries have far better paternity offers, with experts in one Scandinavian country saying it has made its society more equal.
Here, we take a look at what the UK offers new dads and co-parents and how it compares to what’s available abroad.
What does the UK government offer?
Employees are able to take one or two weeks of paid leave.
This applies if they are having a baby, adopting a child or having a baby through a surrogacy agreement.
The rules also apply for same-sex couples.
The government either pays £184.03 a week or 90% of an employee’s average weekly earnings – whichever amount is lower.
Some companies will offer their own deals as part of benefits packages to staff – but many firms may not be able to afford their own schemes.
If you are self-employed, you have no rights to statutory paternity leave at all.
A partner’s maternity leave can be shared provided both employers have opted into the scheme.
It is not additional leave and involves the person on maternity leave giving their partner some of their time off.
Up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay can be shared.
How does the UK compare with other countries?
Along with being the least generous in Europe, the UK’s paternity leave is among the worst of the world’s richest countries.
For example, Norway allocates 15 weeks of parental leave exclusively for dads – and it is paid at more than 90% of the average salary.
In the UK, less than a fifth of the average salary is paid.
In Sweden, leave for new fathers is a normal part of society.
NGO worker Otto took nine months off – and this was after his wife Rebecca had already taken nine months of parental leave when their daughter Vivian was born.
Parents in Sweden are given 480 days of paid parental leave between them.
They have the flexibility to split that how they like, but they both have 90 days reserved exclusively for them – if it is not used, it is lost.
The amount you get paid in Sweden is based on your income.
It is usually up to 80% of your salary, but it is capped so it could be a bit less if you earn a high wage.
Fathers account for about 30% of all parental leave in Sweden.
People in Sweden pay far more tax than in the UK – but dads appear happy to pay as it can mean more time with their kids.
What could better UK paternity leave mean for women?
Joeli Brearley is the founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, a charity supporting mothers, and thinks better paternity leave can reduce the gender pay gap.
“We did some research with the Centre For Progressive Policy, which looked at other countries that have at least six weeks’ paternity leave, paid at a decent percentage of salary,” she said.
“And we found that in countries that do that have on average a 4% less gender pay gap.
“And that’s because you have more women in work and more women working longer hours.”
Campaigners say the current paternity leave offer means the mum stays at home to look after the baby, while the dad is rushed back to work.
Maternity leave is one of the big drivers of the gender pay gap between men and women – which currently sits at about 7% in the UK, according to the Office For National Statistics.
The more time women take away from work, the more likely they are to miss out on promotions and career progression – and it also establishes the mum as the primary caregiver.
What has Sweden’s parental leave policy done for society?
Some believe it has made society more equal – especially since 90 days were ring-fenced for individual parents in Sweden in 2005.
Arvid Vikman Rindevall represents the left-wing Social Democrats party – and heads up both the Stockholm Labour Market Committee and the city’s Equalities Committee – and said fathers can create “closer bonds” with their children.
“When we are asking fathers in Sweden today, ‘Why aren’t you taking more parental leave?’ – the most common answer is that it’s not seen as a good thing in their company,” he told Sky News.
“So when we say that the father has to take three months, it’s easier for them to go back to their bosses and say that I’m planning to stay at home and it is actually my right to by law.”
Otto told Sky News that Sweden’s paternity leave allows fathers and children to create a special bond.
“It’s very different from working your day job. But it’s also a great opportunity and very rewarding,” Otto told Sky News in Stockholm.
“It’s a big word but it’s empowering to have that responsibility as well, and to share it.”
What do people demanding better paternal leave say in the UK?
Campaigners believe things are changing – and the movement is growing as it impacts all sections of society.
Some new dads said they were working just 24 hours after the birth of their child, describing the period as a “blur” – one that passed so quickly it was now difficult to recall.
Marvyn Harrison, from Dope Black Dads, said: “This is not left or right. This is not party aligned. This is literally for us as real people being impacted.
“It’s not just working class people that get this. It’s not just upper middle class people. This is for everybody.
“There’s no movement to counter what we’re saying. And I think that’s a really important indicator of just how important this is.”
What action is the UK government taking?
The Labour government plans to change things – slightly.
It has pledged to make paternity leave available to all employees as soon as they start a job rather than requiring employees to have been in a job for six months to claim.
And the government claims more changes could be on the way.
A Department for Business and Trade spokesperson said it was planning a review of “wider statutory parental leave to ensure it offers the best possible support to working families around the country and boost economic growth”.
There is also a push for MPs to vote for an amendment to the employment bill around this issue.
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At PMQs on Wednesday, Sir Keir Starmer said his government was “extending parental rights”.
“We are conducting a review into parental leave because you can’t grow the economy if parents have to choose between work and their children,” he said.
“Thanks to the employment rights bill, 30,000 more fathers will get paternity leave.”
