Closed petition Equalise paternity leave and pay entitlements with maternity leave and pay

Closed on 17 November 2022

Paternity leave and pay entitlements (currently 2 weeks) should be made equal to maternity leave (52 weeks leave, of which 39 are paid). This would bring the role of a father (or significant other) in a child's life more in line both financially and socially with the mother or main care provider.

I recently became a father for the first time and my employers helped me to take paternity leave, but 2 weeks simply hasn't been enough. Mine and my partners’ lives were turned upside down in the best way possible, but 2 weeks is not enough to adjust to sleep schedules (or lack of), care duties, mindsets. My return to work has left my partner as the main care provider, and I also now risk missing key developments in my child’s life.