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Paternity Leave

The Implications of Paternity Leave

Promoting family-friendly policies in the workplace is essential to building an environment of trust and engagement, which results in a consultative workplace enabling positive productivity. Family friendly policies extend from maternity, paternity and adoption leave through to flexible-working requests. Indeed, with the recent publicity given over to the extension of paternity leave, and the changes with regards to flexible working requests, family-friendly policies are no longer simply best practice, but are enshrined within law.

So what’s happening and why?

The government has decided to allow fathers to take up to six months’ paternity leave: three months at the statutory rate, three months unpaid. The current legislation allows for two weeks’ paternity leave at statutory rate.

This is essentially a “shared” system of leave, so the father will have a legal right to take the place of the mother at home for the last three months of her nine-month maternity leave. A further three months unpaid are also available. This allows the mother to return to work after six months while the father takes on childcare responsibilities for the remainder of the period.

How will it affect businesses?

Ministers estimate that only 4% to 8% of those eligible for leave will actually take it up, and just 1% of small businesses will be affected. That figure is actually extremely low, but creative employers will view this as an opportunity to improve engagement with employees who have children, and will innovate to help mothers back into the workplace sooner, and support fathers in spending more time with their families.

Human Resources departments, however, must ensure that internal procedures are created, communicated and implemented before April 2011. The Human Resources Department will need to stipulate carefully the supporting documentation they will require to validate such requests as the legislation effectively allows the father to sign himself off without having to prove parentage. Several organisations have already warned that the legislation leaves the system open to abuse, so it is the responsibility of individual human resources teams to close the loophole.

How will it affect employees?

New parents may view the support of their employer with regards to balancing their childcare responsibilities as hugely positive, as they stand to benefit both financially and personally as a result.

Employers must be aware that the proposal for extended paternity leave may result in further flexible working requests by both mothers and fathers, which will require them to adopt a much less fixed idea of full-time working and may also increase requests to work at home. This may prove to be a bigger challenge to the needs of the business than the proposed extension to paternity leave itself.

The opportunity to facilitate the return of mothers back into the workplace within six months with the opportunity to save both on childcare costs, and promote bonding with the father should be viewed by employers as positive. The returning mother may be able to integrate back into the routine of work with a shorter leave of absence, face less financial pressure, and is also feel secure in the knowledge that the father has taken on childcare responsibilities.

What’s more, maternity, paternity, and adoption leave should not be seen as a disastrous interruption to the flow of the business, but employees should utilise the KIT (Keep in Touch) days in order to maintain communication and contact.

Employers need to be mindful that parenting involves a range of skills that may prove extremely valuable in the workplace. A recent report highlighted the benefits to employers of parenting skills, citing multitasking as the top skill developed in parenting, followed by effective time management skills. More than half of those parents surveyed claimed to have expanded their communication skills as a result of having children. Of those who have spent an extended time away from work, on parental leave, many claim that they have improved their conflict management skills!

The proposed changes to Paternity Leave, may initially horrify employers, however taking time to see the potential benefits is likely to have a long term positive impact not only on the business, but on employee engagement as a whole, as this legislation would effectively promote further work-life balance. This in itself is enough to positively affect productivity, and the bottom line.