Home working leads to 10-year low in men taking paternity leave

WORKING from home has prompted the decline of fathers taking paternity leave because they are spending more time with their children.

Paternity leave take-up is at a 10-year low, with approximately a quarter of eligible fathers (27 per cent) taking paternity leave after the birth of their child.

The research, published by the commercial law firm EMW, found that just 176,000 men took paternity leave in 2020-21 (to the year end March 31 2021), compared to 652,000 women who took maternity leave over the same period.

Following an increase in the mid2000s, the number of men using their right to paternity leave has stalled and, in recent years, declined from a peak of 221,000 in 2016/17.

Jon Taylor, principal at EMW, said: “For a lot of men, taking paternity leave has become a luxury they can’t afford during the pandemic.

“At a time of huge pressure on household finances, volunteering for a pay cut to £152 a week just isn’t viable for many people.”

The law firm said that limited take-up of paternity leave is likely due to the low rate of Statutory Paternity Pay, which is £152 per week.

The added financial pressure of the pandemic will have increased the reluctance of some men to take time off work with statutory paternity pay set at such a low level.

Working from home has also likely impacted these numbers, with many men being able to see their children while also working from home, discouraging them from taking paternity leave.

Furlough may also have allowed fathers to see more of their newborn children, but even when taking this factor into account, the number of men taking paternity leave is still “worryingly low”, the law firm claimed.

Mr Taylor added: “The rise of working from home could signal a longerterm decline in men taking paternity leave.”