Fathers who want more active role in children's lives failed by 'outdated' workplace policies, government warned

Fathers who want to take a more active role in raising their young children are being failed by “outdated” policies in the workplace which are still not meeting the needs of modern-day families, the government is being warned.

The Women and Equalities Committee said more needed to be done to support working fathers, especially those who were less well-off, but said persisting views on gender roles were standing in the way of change

The MPs urged for new rules to be put in place that meant all jobs were to be advertised as flexible from the start unless there was a solid business reason for that not to happen.

A report said the right to request flexible working had not created the necessary cultural change, while the Government had admitted its flagship shared parental leave scheme will not meet its objective for most fathers.

It also set out a list of recommendations including setting statutory paternity pay at 90 per cent of a father's wages, capped for higher earners, and a new policy of 12 weeks leave for a father in a child's first year as an alternative to shared leave.

Chair of the committee, Maria Miller MP, said their recommendations were vital both for meeting the needs of families and for helping to tackle the gender pay gap.

“The evidence is clear, an increasing number of fathers want to take a more equal share of childcare when their children are young but current policies do not support them in doing so,” she said.

“There is a historical lack of support for men in this area, and negative cultural assumptions about gender roles persist.

“While the Government has taken positive steps forwards and has good intentions, workplace policies have not kept up with the social changes in people’s everyday lives.

“Outdated assumptions about men’s and women’s roles in relation to work and childcare are a further barrier to change.

“If we want a society where women and men have equality both at work and at home, I would strongly urge ministers to consider our findings.

“Effective policies around statutory paternity pay, parental leave and flexible working are all vital if we are to meet the needs of families and tackle the gender pay gap.”

Trades Union Congress (TUC) general secretary Frances O’Grady welcomed the recommendations but said there was still more that could be done.

“Boosting paternity pay to 90% of earnings and extending paid time off would mean hundreds of thousands more dads could afford to spend time with their new baby, and agency workers and self-employed dads should get the same rights too,” she said.

“It’s disappointing that the proposals still wouldn’t give pregnant women and prospective dads who are agency workers the right to paid time off for antenatal appointments.

“These check-ups are vital for the health and wellbeing of both mum and baby, people shouldn’t lose pay to go to them.”

Sam Smethers, chief executive of the Fawcett Society said current policies were stuck in the 1950s.

“We need a radical re-think of our parental leave system,” she said.

“The antiquated assumption that dad goes back to work while mum stays home to look after the baby bears no relation to what most parents in the UK want. “Yet our parental leave system is still driven by a 1950s model of family life.”

“Yet our parental leave system is still driven by a 1950s model of family life.”

Additional reporting by Press Association.