Marks & Spencer and Tesco are among the retailers offering six weeks’ fully paid paternity leave, far above the statutory minimum of two weeks paid at a reduced rate. The research, compiled by campaign group The Dad Shift and consultant Ian Dinwiddy, also highlights that privately owned companies such as Ikea, Lego and Virgin Media O2 now offer more weeks of fully paid leave. This contrasts with sectors like construction, manufacturing and agriculture, where provision is much weaker: construction employs about one in ten working men but accounts for only one in fifteen recipients of statutory paternity pay. Many construction and agricultural workers are self-employed and have no entitlement. Engineering firm Rolls-Royce offers two weeks’ full pay; JCB offers two weeks’ full pay, upgraded from three days. More than 100 Labour MPs have written to Burnham urging him to commit to introducing six weeks of paternity leave paid at 90% of earnings, capped at £1,200 a week, and extended to self-employed fathers. An 18-month government review of the UK’s parental leave system is due to report later this year. Joe Erskine, an M&S employee who took six weeks’ leave after his second child was born 17 months ago, said the policy made a “huge difference” to his family. Labour MP Connor Rand, a former Usdaw researcher, said “too many dads in our country can’t do this. That’s bad for them, bad for their partner and bad for their children. It must change.” The UK currently ranks 40th out of 43 OECD countries for paternity leave and has the least generous entitlement in Europe.
Retail leads on paternity leave as MPs urge PM to improve offer
Research highlights widening gap between sectors as over 100 Labour MPs call for six weeks’ pay at 90% of earnings
The UK’s retail sector is outstripping other industries in offering enhanced paternity leave, new research has found, as more than 100 Labour MPs call on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to improve the national entitlement ahead of the upcoming budget.
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Analysis
Why This Matters
- The gap between retail and other sectors means most working fathers in construction, manufacturing and agriculture have minimal paid leave, affecting family bonding and gender equality.
- The government review and expected budget could reshape parental leave policy for millions of workers.
- Extending paternity leave to self-employed workers would cover a significant share of the workforce currently excluded.
Background
The UK introduced statutory paternity leave over two decades ago but has fallen behind international peers, now offering only two weeks at a low flat rate. Many large companies have voluntarily enhanced their offers, but the benefits are unevenly distributed across sectors. The upcoming budget and a long-running government review are key opportunities for reform. n
What to Watch
- The autumn budget: whether the government includes measures to enhance paternity leave.
- The publication of the 18-month parental leave system review.
- Whether more firms in construction and manufacturing follow retail in upgrading their offers.
Sources
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 6 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe UK retail sector leads other industries in enhanced paternity leave.Business | The Guardian: “M&S and Tesco are among the retailers leading the way in offering enhanced paternity leave to their staff, new research has shown”
- Not in the sourcesAndy Burnham is the prime minister.Business | The Guardian: “More than 100 Labour MPs have called on Andy Burnham in recent weeks to commit to improving the UK’s paternity leave”
- SupportedMore than 100 Labour MPs are calling for six weeks of paternity leave paid at 90% of earnings, capped at £1,200 a week, and extended to self-employed fathers.Business | The Guardian: “They are calling for the introduction of six weeks of paternity leave paid at 90% of earnings, capped at £1,200 a week, with the offer extended to self-employed fathers.”
- SupportedResearch highlights a widening gap between sectors in paternity-leave provision.Business | The Guardian: “new research has shown, highlighting the widening gap between the more family-friendly policies offered to new fathers working in the retail sector compared with those in construction, manufacturing and agriculture.”
- SupportedJoe Erskine said the policy made a “huge difference” to his family.Business | The Guardian: ““Being able to take six weeks’ paid paternity leave, flexibly, made a huge difference to me and my family, giving me the time to support my partner and settle into being a new parent,” said Marks & Spencer employee Joe Erskine.”
- SupportedConnor Rand said: “too many dads in our country can’t do this. That’s bad for them, bad for their partner and bad for their children. It must change.”Business | The Guardian: ““Through the ups and downs, I could bond with my son and support my partner because of paternity leave. Too many dads in our country can’t do this. That’s bad for them, bad for their partner and bad for their children. It must change.””
- Partly supportedMore than 100 Labour MPs wrote to Burnham to urge the change.Business | The Guardian: “More than 100 Labour MPs have called on Andy Burnham in recent weeks to commit to improving the UK’s paternity leave”
- SupportedM&S and Tesco offer six weeks of fully paid paternity leave.Business | The Guardian: “Both companies offer six weeks at full pay to employees”
- Partly supportedConstruction employs about one in ten working men but accounts for only one in fifteen recipients of statutory paternity pay.Business | The Guardian: “the construction sector employs around one in 10 working men, but only accounts for about one in 15 recipients of statutory paternity pay.”
- Partly supportedMany construction and agricultural workers are self-employed and have no entitlement.Business | The Guardian: “some construction workers are self-employed and currently have no entitlement to paid paternity leave, as is also the case for many of Britain’s agricultural workers, the majority of whom are self-employed.”
- Partly supportedThe 18-month government review is due to report later this year.Business | The Guardian: “An 18-month government review of the UK’s parental leave system is expected to report later this year.”
- Partly supportedThe UK ranks 40th out of 43 OECD countries and has the least generous paternity-leave entitlement in Europe.Business | The Guardian: “Campaigners have long argued that the UK has one of the least generous paternity leave offers in the world, ranked 40th out of 43 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries. Over two decades after paternity leave rights were introduced in Britain, they argue the country has fallen behind and now has the least generous entitlement in Europe .”