Would you and your partner take time off work if companies offered 6 months paid parental leave for all?

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Having a new baby is an exciting time regardless of whether you’re a mum or a dad, and spending time with them in those first few months is a precious experience. A year ago Aviva introduced its equal paid parental leave policy, where all employees can take up to 12 months off, with no need for mums to share their maternity allowance. With this in mind, Aviva would like to hear your thoughts on giving all parents the same amount of time off.

Here’s what Caroline Prendergast, Interim Chief People Officer at Aviva has to say: “We decided to make all parents at Aviva eligible for the same amount of paid and unpaid time off, regardless of gender, sexual orientation or how they became a parent. We thought that dads would want to spend time with their new arrivals, just as mums do. One year on, our experience shows that with financial barriers removed, they do just that.”

You can find out more about Aviva as an employer here.

If all companies offered 6 months paid parental leave, do you think your spouse or partner would be prepared take the time off work to share childcare duties? If not, why not?

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I think it's a great idea. My company does this and I know some men who have actually taken it up and loved being able to spend more time at home after the birth. I think those weeks go so quickly and it's a hard time with lack of sleep and learning feeding and about newborns - and having your partner at home is a fantastic support and gives them more bonding time and everyone more family time.

I think it’s a great idea. Whether an individual chooses to use it or not, having the choice is amazing. Offering equal opportunities relieves some of the pressure on women. That can only be a good thing.

i think its a lovely idea.but we certainly couldn't afford any unpaid leave.but a brilliant option for people that can.

This is an interesting idea. I’m on my third maternity leave and as with the other two, I’m going back after six months and my husband will take several months off afterwards.

My employer (HE) offers six months maternity pay at full rate. His (multinational company you will have heard off) offers six months maternity pay over twelve months (sliding scale of 90% in month 1 to 10% in month 12) but neither offer anything for Dads. If we both worked and earned the same at husband’s employer we would actually lose money by using this pattern of leave. Their (no doubt when compared with policies in the many countries they work in) “progressive” maternity pay policy is hampering shared parental leave opportunities.

However if I’m totally honest a new baby doesn’t need two parents to look after it. It’s a nice to have. In my preferred ideal life and if you’re going to spend that much money I’d rather have that extra six months paid spread over two years ie working one day less a week over two years for the same money would cost Aviva less, save money on childcare costs, and enable a better long term bonding experience as the child develops and gets mummy Mondays/father Fridays.

I think equality of leave for parents of either sex is long overdue, but many families will not be able to afford any unpaid leave, so the major benefit will be to better-off households, unfortunately.

Well done Aviva. This is genuinely progressive and I will be buying your insurance on the basis of this. This is where it needs to go to create true equality in the workplace. Fantastic.

I would have loved this. When my DCs were born there was no such thing as paternity leave - Dh had to book annual leave and hope that his employer would be flexible about him moving the dates if DC arrived earlier or later than the edd. As for me, I wasn't entitled to any maternity leave at all as I had not worked for my employer for two years at the time I would have gone on mat leave, so I had to leave my job. Not the end of the world as we decided I would be a sahm for a few years, but that decision was definitely driven by the rules surrounding mat leave, and pay, at that time.
Good on Aviva - I hope many more employers introduce similar schemes. We thought it was a real improvement that DC was able to take a month off when dgs was born this year, how amazing it would have been for him to be able to take longer, or at least to have had the realistic choice to do so.

DH and I will be taking shared parental leave in April - we will be the first people in our companies to do so. The idea is good in principle, but there are so many bureaucratic hurdles that I can see why many people are put off. Also it only works out in our case as we earn exactly the same amount.

Dh would have jumped at the opportunity!

When our dc were born, paternity leave was virtually unheard-of. Dh was able to negotiate two weeks leave, one paid, one unpaid, to be taken taken without notice as soon as I went into labour. It was great for the whole family.

I became a SAHM, but, had I had to return to work, we would definitely have taken the opportunity for me to take the first 6m and dh to take the second 6m. It was a dream scenario that we often discussed.

It's a great idea. For us it would have been great for my partner to be able to take this at any time and for it to be flexible. So, when I really needed to rest after birth and when I was so tired I felt like I couldn't cope.
After breastfeeding finished would have been a great time too. Then, he could have taken over the night shift, I could sleep and someone could get around to some basic cleaning/ laundry!

How have you felt about the amount of time your partner was able to take off of work?
He had 3 weeks with my first as his then work gave him a week's compassionate leave as I was very unwell. I became very anxious about him going back but it was for best to get me going again. With 2nd he was able to have 2 weeks off and then a rolling start back to work. Again this was more for me than him!

How would you feel about them being at home with you for six months or more?

Honestly think he would get bored of it! But it would be amazing if finances allowed. Would be harder to return maybe.

Do you think your partner would take it if it was available to them? How do you think it could change your family life with a new baby?

I think it would benefit mum as she would be able to take more regular breaks/rests. For dad I think they would be able to help inday to day and more at night time. I'm not sure it would create a stronger bond because my DH has amazing ones with our kids.

Look, I get it. Nice for dads to bond with baby etc, female rights, empowerment yadda yadda.

But I don't want to pump, I want to breast-feed when my baby wants to, which realistically means I'm taking at least the first 6 months. And then, dammit world, I want to take the 6 months also. I pushed a baby out of my you know what. I'm having time off

We would have taken more shared parental leave but my income is unreliable (self employed) so we couldn't risk it for more than 5 weeks. My husband loved those 5 weeks though. Next time, if we have more of a financial security blanket, he will take more.

Neither of us qualified for anything other than statutory pay. 6 months full pay sounds amazing.

I wish all organisations would offer this. It is a brilliant idea. I think those first few months with a newborn baby is the most precious bonding time and not only moms want to get to experience it dad's deserve the rights to aswel. If this was a financial burden lifted of of families many dad's would choose to take this option I know my partner would as he would love to be around to help with our newborn and help with the routine and everything in general. Plus many men miss out on a lot of first things it would be so nice for them to be able to experience it all. So I am all for it. If only it would happen everywhere

I'd like to see a move to the Swedish system where parents are entitled to 480 days of paid leave for parents to share as they wish after a baby is born or adopted.

It is becoming increasingly clear that the first two years of a babies life are critically important to overall development, so it makes sense to me that there should be more priority given to this time and both parents should have the chance to take time off work in a way that works for them.

We are going to do it as I will only be able to take a few months off, but I think it may be the first time that anyone at my partner’s place of work has taken it up. Which is clearly indicated by the fact the document on the intranet dates to the previous policy where the father couldn’t take the leave before 20 weeks. It will be hard financially as I am self employed so will only get MA, & I earn more too so basically have to save up for my own AND for some of his leave. But it’ll be worth it to avoid leaving our small baby in nursery at the youngest age.

Brilliant that employers are startingto offer this, dh struggled to take 2 weeks paternity as it is paid at such a low rate...no enhanced package at either of our employers. It would've been amazing with both our daughters as i had a csection/complications and lloking after a baby (plus a toddler with dd2!) was very tricky while I was still recovering too! dh also missed a lot of the 1st's so this would've been a lovely treasured time I'm sure

A great idea in principle!

I am very positive about shared parental leave. My partner and I took shared parental leave 2 years ago for our second child. We were the first to do so in both our organisations. There was a lot of uncertainty and it did take time to finalise things but it was absolutely the best thing we could have done. Having my partner involved in those early days and to spend time together as a family was invaluable. There are practical things to consider and not many companies have generous maternity packages or have negative perceptions about shared parental leave but I am so pleased we didn't let these things stop us. I would highly recommend that it is an option that people should investigate as there are lots of different possibiliities.

I think it is absolutely brilliant. My partner and I took shared parental leave 2 years ago for our second child, we were the first to do so in our organisations. There were lots of uncertainties and did take time to investigate the different options and what would work for us. Yes, there were practical issues to consider, especially as some maternity packages are not good at all and negative perceptions.I'm glad we investigated things further and decided to go for it. Having my partner involved in those early days (longer than a week or two!) and to have the time together as a family was absolutely invaluable.

We'd absolutely love it if this was possible! I'd really appreciate the help and wouldn't feel so abandoned at home especially as this is our first. My OH would love to be able to help too as he wants to be with baby just as much as I do. Well done and what a thoughtful approach xxx

I think it's a great policy. I was quite sick post birth and it would have been great to have been able to take simultaneous paid leave while I recovered. I breast feed so think we'd always have gone for a simultaneous option but I think empowering families to do what works for them is best.

Shared parental leave doesn't work for the majority. Mothers are more likely to be feeding the child and often earn less, so take the leave instead of the father. Ideally leave should be allowed either at the same time as the mother, or afterwards, to suit individual family circumstances.

I think this scheme encourages equality in the work place, as it is ringfenced leave for the partner. If men have the same leave entitlement then employers are less likely to not want to employ a woman of child bearing age. Also, having men more invested in caring roles would make them more likely to work flexible or reduced hours afterwards, not just women

@del2929 if a woman is with a partner who “forces” her back to work in the first six months so that he can stay at home, then she’s with the wrong partner. The scheme is so the father can take time off with the mother.