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MNHQ

Labour would double paternity leave, and raise it to £260 a week - what do you think?

2 replies

KateMumsnet · 09/02/2015 09:39

Hello all

Labour has announced plans for a "Father's Month" which will double paid paternity leave from two to four weeks. They've also pledged to raise paternity pay by more than £100 per week to at least £260 a week - equivalent to the minimum wage.

Do tell us what you think - are these changes to be welcomed? How, if at all, would they have affected your family's experience in the first few weeks with a newborn?

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MNHQ

RowanMumsnet · 11/02/2015 09:18

Hello

Just wanted to follow up on a few points and explain why we took the position we did when the media came a-calling

We did this survey in late 2014 of around 1000 Mners. 80% of respondents told us that they wished their husbands/spouses could have taken more paternity leave, and 70% of those told us that one of the major reasons they didn't was that the rates of pay were too low. 90% of respondents thought that statutory paternity leave rates should match maternity leave rates. So based on that, our approach yesterday was broadly to say that we think more money going into paternity leave pay has to be a good thing.

We've also done quite a lot of survey work with MNers on 'choreology' and the division of household tasks, and again and again you tell us that mothers still bear much more of the weight for household work than fathers do, even when both partners work out of the home. There's quite a lot of research showing that men who get involved in caring for their children very early on tend to stay involved, bearing a fairer share of the burden of childcare and child-related work later on in the child's life.

If you didn't respond to the survey on paternity pay, don't worry - we'll very soon be launching a big survey asking all MNers what they think about all sorts of policy issues in the run-up to the general election, and this topic (and CSA charges!) will be included in that.

MNHQ

RowanMumsnet · 12/02/2015 09:35

Here's your chance to tell us exactly what you think - do please have a look (be warned, it's quite long!)

Thanks
MNHQ

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