29-01-10 10:12

Plan for 6 months paternity leave revealed

New rights for fathers to take up to six months' paternity leave - three paid - have been announced by the government.

The plans, which could come into force from April next year, would give fathers the right to take the time off during the second half of a baby's first year if the mother returns to the workplace. Ministers hope that the principle of sharing leave between parents will help achieve the goal of a more flexible workforce and give couples more options.

At present, fathers are entitled to just two weeks' paid leave while mothers can take up to 52 weeks, with 39 of them paid.

The government conceded that take-up is likely to be low, with less than one in 16 fathers expected to leave work for a period of full-time childcare. It has sought to reassure small businesses by saying that less than 1 per cent of them would find themselves affected by the change.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber welcomed the move. “These proposals will help millions of people balance their work and family life. As both parents work in most modern families, it’s right that mums and dads should decide who looks after their baby, rather than the state deciding for them by only paying the mother for parental leave”, he said.

Source: www.peoplemanagement.co.uk