‘Paternity leave out of reach’
ONE in four new fathers are missing out on paternity leave and pay, mainly because they are selfemployed, a study shows.
Research by the TUC found that of the 625,000 men who became fathers in 2016, more than 157,000 did not qualify for statutory paternity leave or pay.
The main reason was self-employment, although 44,000 fathers had not been working for their employer long enough to claim.
The TUC said many lowpaid fathers struggled to take time off anyway, even if they qualified for the statutory payment of £140.98 a week.
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “It’s really important for dads to be able to spend time at home with their families when they have a new baby.
“But too many fathers are missing out because they don’t qualify, or because they can’t afford to use their leave.
“We’d like to see all dads being given a right to longer, better-paid leave when a child is born, and for this to be a day-one right.”
Currently, full-time working fathers are entitled to two working weeks – 10 days on 80% pay.
Twenty-eight countries are said to enjoy better schemes than the UK. TWO men were taken to hospital after 16 people, thought to be Iraqis, were found in the back of a lorry in extreme heat yesterday.
The stowaways waved to motorists to get the driver to stop on the A22 in East Grinstead.
The lorry driver was arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration.