What's all the fuss about equal parental leave?

Equal parental leave (EPL) - something to transform the workplace experience for parents and build stronger businesses, or the next wobbly attempt to make some changes since shared parental leave? I’ll let you know where I’m putting my money shortly…but buckle up, because this is a bit of a longer article than I usually pull together because this is a big topic!?

I’m getting a lot of questions about how to handle equal parental leave at the moment, and rightly so - it’s a big talking point with some snazzy names sharing policy launches. Just last month, the London Stock Exchange joined the likes of Aviva, Zurich, Natwest, John Lewis, Pinterest and Vodafone in offering equal parental leave.?

The growing recognition of the importance of equal parental leave is not about removing maternity leave, it’s more about creating a society and workplace cultures that allow all parenting setups to thrive.

So what’s it all about?

The take up of equal parental leave is already flying compared to its older sibling, Shared Parental Leave (SPL) largely because of the affordability. It was a vicious cycle with SPL - we’ve got that crevice of a gender pay gap, so where we’re talking about a male and female parent, chances were the fellas were earning more. When you do the maths of paternity or SPL, it wasn’t adding up for many families where the man was earning more than the woman.?

The other big difference between EPL and SPL is that the time is ring fenced - EPL won’t take away from the other parent’s leave. This was something that was a major trade off for many parents who had birthed a child who would then face a direct impact on the amount of maternity leave they’d be able to take. I’ll flag now that amongst the 70+ UK employers who offer EPL, they’re all going about it a bit differently in terms of the length of time that is paid, so as ever, it’s about finding something that works for your business.?

EPL easily becomes gender neutral, but has the ability to make sure no matter what your path to parenthood has involved, you feel supported. This is where policy and lived experience can go hand in hand beautifully.? For example, a friend of mine and her wife were becoming parents through adoption. Her wife was taking the year long adoption leave her employer offered. My friend on the other hand, was only able to access paternity leave.?

That slaps on a few levels in my opinion - for starters, the language of paternity leave is geared towards the fellas, absolutely understandable - but my friend is a gal, standing in front of her employer, asking them for parental leave that doesn’t assume every family set up is a hetero couple. There are also challenges on the length of time offered by the ‘paternity leave’ - a whopping two weeks, which if you know even a smidge about the adoption process is woefully under called. If you don’t, and want to hear first hand, I’ve got a couple of podcast episodes that will help. Andy Nichols from series 5 and Katie from series 2 shared their stories.

As I’ve mentioned above, equal parental leave is looking different in terms of length of time across organisations, but it’s falling consistently between 16 and 26 weeks of fully paid leave (For context, the BITC found that funding 26 weeks EPL is the equivalent of 2-3% of an organisation's annual payroll). There will no doubt be financial considerations for any organisation, but what we are already seeing is a clear link between funding this level of leave with increased engagement, discretionary effort and performance. Ultimately, it’s paying for itself in commercial output.

How will it help?

According to research out of Henley Business School , a whopping 80% of the gender pay gap is attributed to the motherhood penalty. Behind stats like that are real people who are being paid less because of their gender and because they dared to procreate - it’s people you know being devalued in the workplace because of their family status. These are people who are cracking employees, who have heaps of potential and haven’t stopped developing, all feeling pushed down and out of the world of paying work - we’ve got to do better.

As well as pay gap shifts, EPL has got the potential to make some other big changes in the workplace and society. No pressure then.?

Traditional gender roles have long had women as primary caregivers, while men are the breadwinners. It’s outdated, damaging and about as far from inclusive as we can get. Equal parental leave challenges these stereotypes by recognising all parents play crucial roles in raising children. It’s not about eradicating anybody’s role or the importance of their version of parental leave with their children, but instead building equity and equality. Equal parental leave can go straight in and send the message that we see parenting as a blend, not this binary experience where one parent is at home and the other is out earning.?

Disparities in parental leave policies contribute to gender inequality in the workplace. Putting the onus on mothers to be taking the lead on caring responsibilities is no doubt playing into dangerous and archaic narratives. I think we need to remember that two things can be true at the same time here - mums and birthing parents can want to take maternity / parental leave AND Dads / parents need time with their families as well. And how do our current policies and practices fit when it comes to adoption, surrogacy or same sex relationships??

According to research from Pregnant Then Screwed , 52% of mothers have faced some sort of discrimination when pregnant, on maternity leave or as they return to work. EPL could really help by ensuring that both men and women have the same opportunities to take time away from the workplace for caregiving purposes. This not only promotes gender equity within organisations but also helps to create a more inclusive and supportive work environment for all employees. It’s sending a strong message about equality for everybody, not just for parents.?

Some things to consider…

As with everything, this isn’t a binary solution that comes as a saviour for everything. We still need to consider the nuance that comes with parental leave policies. It’s not an exhaustive list, but some things to reflect on:

• Solo parents. Consider the language in your policies - you don’t want to be steeped in assumption that everybody is in a relationship or teeter on becoming preachy about how important it is to have both parents on the scene. You may, for example, have parents in your organisation who are no longer in a romantic relationship with their partner when their child enters the world who may still want to access equal parental leave - keep an eye on the assumptions you’re making. We can talk about equal parental leave without offending anybody or passing judgement.?
• Culture needs to catch up with policy. Having an equal parental leave policy will send a strong message about your company values, but it’s really important that the lived experience matches up to it. Look around at what is being valued, celebrated and developed. If you’ve got line managers recruiting in their own image, if the ‘banter’ of stereotypes is alive and well, you’re battling against a culture that won’t allow for things like equal parental leave to embed.?

Equal parental leave is not just a matter of fairness; it's a crucial step towards creating a more inclusive and equitable society. By challenging traditional gender roles, promoting work-life balance, fostering gender equality in the workplace, and setting a positive example for future generations, equal parental leave policies benefit individuals, families, and society as a whole. As we continue to strive for progress and social change, the magic will really happen when we prioritise cracking policies with culture changes that support and empower all parents, regardless of gender.

If you’ve made it this far - well done ?? I kind of started and couldn’t stop on this one! Hit that save button if you think you might want to refer back to anything I've shared.

I’ll leave it here for now, but a couple of links that might be helpful for you:

If you’re looking for a practical toolkit then this resource from the BITC is great and this report from Vodafone presents a strong business case alongside the realities you might face as an employer.

EPL is something I think can truly transform the lives of parents and carers in the workplace, and can enable businesses to thrive. It will ultimately be a talent attraction tool while fewer businesses offer it - so there’s no time like the present to get it established in your organisation.?

If you’d like to figure out a plan when it comes to EPL for your organisation alongside a powerful parental support strategy, you can book a call to chat about how Power of the Parent can help.