Volker Richter’s Post

𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜 - 𝚃𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚎 𝚞𝚙 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚟𝚘𝚝𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎! A recent survey of 1,285 parents of children (under 18) has highlighted a significant trend - parents are ready to use their vote to advocate for better lives for their families. 𝙺𝚎𝚢 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚕𝚞𝚍𝚎: 🔹 Parental Leave and Pay Reforms: Almost three quarters (73%) of parents are calling for policy reforms around parental leave and pay. Over two thirds (67%) would vote for a candidate or party that promises better leave and entitlements for new parents. 🔹 Support During the First Year: 9 in 10 parents believe it is crucial for new fathers and partners to take time off to care for their baby in the first year. Almost two thirds (64%) feel the current two-week statutory paternity leave is insufficient. Two-thirds (65%) deem the statutory maternity/paternity pay of £172.48 per week inadequate, with 55% prioritizing increased pay over longer leave periods. 🔹 Self-Employed Fathers: Nearly 9 in 10 (88%) parents believe self-employed fathers should also be entitled to paternity leave. 🔹 Maternity Leave and Pay: Four in 10 parents advocate for more paid weeks of parental leave for new mothers and an increased statutory rate of maternity pay. 🔹 A Joint Effort: Eight in 10 parents feel the government should do more to help new families balance work and childcare in the first year. Over half (52%) propose 12 weeks of government-funded leave for new parents. Equally, 80% of parents believe employers should enhance parental leave and pay. The resounding message is clear: parents are calling for a more compassionate system that supports their family’s needs, enabling them to spend vital time with their new babies. With two thirds of parents prepared to vote based on these issues, political parties need to take note and prioritise parental leave reforms. #Parenting #ParentalLeave #WorkLifeBalance #PolicyReform #FutureOfWork #GeneralElection

Tidbit for your Day | In a powerful campaign, statues across London are now modeling baby slings to spotlight the need for better paternity leave. Activists from a new campaign group, the Dad Shift aim to raise awareness of the often-overlooked role fathers play in childcare and push for more equal, paid paternity leave across the UK - "The UK has the worst paternity leave offer in Europe, with only two statutory weeks of leave, paid at £184.03 a week. As a result, recent research found one in three UK fathers took no paternity leave after the birth of their child, and one in two families where the fathers took paternity leave reported struggling financially afterwards.". These iconic statues are more than just art today—they're symbols of change and a reminder that caregiving is everyone's responsibility. Check out the full story here to see how this creative initiative is driving change:

The UK has the worst paternity leave offer in Europe.   Currently, the UK offers only two statutory weeks of leave for new fathers, paid at just £184.03 a week. Recent research found 1 in 3 UK fathers took no paternity leave, and half of the families where fathers did take leave struggled financially. Compare this with other countries:   🇪🇸 Spain, where fathers get 16 weeks of paid leave—equal to maternity leave. 🇸🇪 Sweden, where parents share 480 days of paid leave.  🇯🇵 Japan offers 52 weeks, yet only 30% of fathers took advantage of it in 2023.   The Dad Shift campaign is calling for affordable parental leave, a substantial allowance of time, and equality among parents. Proper leave for fathers and co-parents benefits everyone —mothers, babies, fathers, and society as a whole. Countries with more generous paternity leave have smaller gender pay gaps and stronger economies too.   At Fertifa, we advocate for equality in parental leave because everyone’s family structure and home life will look different—companies should be accommodating single parents, LGBTQ+ parents, adoptive parents, and co-parents. Workplaces should support every employee.   Read the full article with more on The Dad Shift's campaign here:  https://lnkd.in/ecDBDc7X

👉 70% of dads had to cut their paternity leave short because they couldn't afford to stay off any longer. 👉 64% took two weeks or less paternity leave following the birth of their most recent child. 👉 29% of dads could get their hands on enhanced paternity leave, dropping to a measly 20% for households bringing in less than £60,000. 👎 The UK has the least generous paternity leave entitlement in Europe. *EMPLOYERS* ❓ Do you want to close your gender pay gap? ❓ Do you want to improve representation of women in your senior leadership? ❓ Do you want the next generation of kids to grow up with parents/carers that are present? ❓ Do you want highly engaged, productive staff that sticks around? Because, by the way, the families in your organisation want the above things too... *THEN* ✅ Provide dads / partners with leave - make it more than a, frankly insulting, 2 weeks and consider parenthood goes well beyond the newborn stage. ✅ Normalise paternity leave - and take it yourself if it applies to you. ✅ Recognise your team might have different family structures therefore support needs to be tailored or widened. ✅ Sign up to the Workplace Nursery Scheme (link in comments) so the families in your organisation and reduce the cost of childcare. Research by Pregnant Then Screwed and Women In Data™️ PEACHIES | Rima Suppan | Jean Kachika | Lorenzo Mucchino https://lnkd.in/epU7PJ7N

👶 Is It Time to Rethink Paternity Leave in the UK? 🇬🇧 With just two weeks of paid paternity leave, the UK lags behind many other countries. This week's protests, powerful displays of model baby slings attached to statues of men, highlight the need for change and the impact on fathers missing out on early bonding. https://lnkd.in/ecDBDc7X At Atkinson HR, we believe effective paternity leave (and parental leave in general) is essential for supporting families and creating inclusive workplaces. Learn how to better support your employees by reading our blog: 📄 Supporting Employees Through Parental Leave 👉 https://lnkd.in/eddM3AKu #PaternityLeave #StatueProtests #ParentalLeave #InclusiveWorkplace #HRBestPractices

Launching today, the Inspiring Dads Ltd Parental Leave Database, created by Ian Dinwiddy, features +250 UK organisations that offer the best maternity and paternity packages available in the UK. 👉 Sign up for free access now: https://lnkd.in/e-F_cbcY   Our analysis of the organisations in the database found that: 🔹 55% offer mothers and fathers 'non-equal' leave 🔹 Among these 'non-equal' employers, the average length of leave at full pay is 22.7 weeks for mothers and 4.9 weeks for fathers 🔹 78% of the 'non-equal' organisations don't match their enhanced maternity leave offer for fathers / second parents taking shared parental leave - a key barrier to uptake Our analysis shows that most ‘top tier’ UK employers offering enhanced parental leave still give mothers longer and better paid leave than fathers – reinforcing, rather than challenging, gendered family roles. There is cause for celebration, however: 🙌 45% give equal fully paid parental leave to all eligible employees, regardless of their gender 🙌 62% offer dads 6+ weeks at full pay #6weeksfordads appears to be becoming 'standard' among progressive employers, which is great progress. 👉 Learn more about our campaign and how you can get involved here: https://lnkd.in/emp7ZG3e ❔ Why is this database important ❔ 🔹 It lays bare the two-tier system in parenting leave that has emerged in the UK, with some parents getting as much as a year of leave at full pay while the majority of dads get just two weeks paid at less than half the minimum wage 🔹 It highlights the gendered inequalities that underpin parenting leave, even in most of the ‘top tier’ employers 🔹 It aids transparency, allowing both employees and employers to see what different organisations are offering their staff who are parents ➡ the more parenting leave offers are out in the open, the more likely they are to improve Our Deputy Chief Exec, Dr Jeremy Davies, commented: "Fathers having time to bond and care for their children shouldn’t be down to the generosity of individual employers – this opportunity should be available and affordable for all dads and second parents." #paternityleave #parentalleave #fatherhood #timewithdad #genderequalityintheworkplace #employeebenefits #campaign

We LOVE this campaign from the Dad Shift, advocating for better paternity leave in the UK. It highlights an important issue: the UK currently has the worst paternity leave in Europe. With Dad Shift’s new polling finding 90% of fathers expressing a desire to play a bigger role in their children's lives, this campaign shows a clear need for change. We are passionate about campaigning to improve paternity leave and pay – to ensure new fathers and partners can afford to take it – and to encourage more employers to enhance parental leave. We are looking forward to the government acting on their promise to 'review the parental leave system, so it best supports working families'. https://lnkd.in/ecDBDc7X

Did you know that the UK has the worst paternity leave offer in Europe? Campaigners have attached lifesize model babies in slings to bronze statues of men across central London and called on the government to improve the country’s parental leave options. Activists from the new group, the Dad Shift, attached the dolls to statues of the engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the actors Laurence Olivier and Gene Kelly and the footballers Thierry Henry and Tony Adams, in an attempt to focus attention on the importance of father-baby bonding. Campaigners are asking for “parental leave that is affordable for people to take, gives a substantial allowance of time, and supports equality among parents”. “Proper parental leave for fathers and co-parents is good for mothers, good for babies, good for fathers and good for society too. Countries with six or more weeks’ paternity leave have a gender pay gap that’s 4% smaller … meaning change can help grow the economy while helping British families,” says an open letter the group plans to deliver to the prime minister later this month. The UK offers only two statutory weeks of leave for new father’s, paid at £184.03 a week. As a result, recent research found one in three UK fathers took no paternity leave after the birth of their child, and one in two families where the fathers took paternity leave reported struggling financially afterwards. In contrast, countries such as Spain offer 16 weeks of paid paternity leave, which is the same length as maternity leave, while in Sweden parents, including LGBTQ+ and adoptive parents, are entitled to half each of 480 days of paid parental leave. Japan allows up to 52 weeks of paid paternity leave, which is one of the most generous paternity leave systems in the world. However, only 30% of new fathers took it in 2023, according to the government – an increase from 2.3% in 2014. Countries including the US and New Zealand don't have any national statutory paid paternity leave, while the average among OECD nations is 10.4 days. Full article here: https://shorturl.at/Yj9IM Sign the petition here: https://shorturl.at/9t4Qx Source: The Guardian The Dad Shift Wrap-a-Hug Sling Library Photos: Graeme Robertson

Have you felt happiness and anxiety at the same time? 10 years ago, I had just given birth and was overwhelmed with excitement and happiness but at the same time, was really anxious and nervous. I was figuring out this new motherhood stuff, as well as managing all the changes that were happening in my life and my body. There were plenty of postpartum issues that I had to deal with, many of them I was totally unprepared for. On top of that, there is now a new human being which I will be responsible for. Then, the government had introduced paternity leave, and my husband was able to take a week off to be with me and our newborn. The week that he was around, I was relieved. A week later, he went back to work. I thought it would have been great if he could have a longer paternity leave, as having another parent around to share the responsibilities of caring for a newborn helps so much. Fast forward 10 years later, at the National Day Rally last evening, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had announced enhanced caregiving scheme for new parents, which include a 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝟰-𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 and a new shared parental leave scheme, allowing 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝟭𝟲 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 while 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝟯𝟬 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿. WOW. Although I won't be able to benefit from this enhancement, this is definitely a step forward as the government has made adjustments to the system to make it more equitable for women who become mothers. Hopefully, by also normalising paternity leave, we will be able to encourage more men to take it up and help with caregiving. Looking forward to seeing this as a new normal 😊. What are your thoughts on the enhanced scheme? Or your experience around parenthood? Would love to hear about them. #inclusion #diversity #mindset #equity #women #paternityleave