WORKERS who were previously denied time off for the birth of their child will become eligible for new day one rights to parental leave from April – but experts have warned “plenty of parents still will not take it”.
The changes, which stem from the recently passed Employment Rights Act, will see an additional 32,000 more dads per year able to access Paternity Leave immediately, as a mother would with maternity leave.
A new Bereaved Partner’s Paternity Leave will also be introduced from April, providing up to 52 weeks of leave for fathers and partners who lose their partner before their child’s first birthday.
The new measures are being laid out in Parliament today, the Government has announced.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “For too long, working people were left without the basic rights and security they deserve. That ends now. The changes we’re bringing in will mean every new parent can properly take time off when they have a child, and no one is forced to work while ill just to make ends meet.
“This is about giving working families the support they need to balance work, health and the cost of living. We’re delivering a modern deal for workers. Stronger sick pay, parental leave from day one, and protections that put dignity back at the heart of work. Because when we respect and reward those who keep Britain running, we build a stronger economy for everyone.”
Plenty of parents still will not take it
Kate Underwood, Founder at Southampton-based Kate Underwood HR and Training, said she feared that people would still not take the leave.
She added: “Unpaid leave sounds lovely until you try paying the mortgage with it. Day-one rights are progress, but if the time off is unpaid, plenty of parents still will not take it. They will smile, say ‘all good’, then come back shattered because the bills do not pause for bonding.
“So yes, the law is catching up with real life, but the money bit still has not. For UK small and medium enterprises (SMEs), expect this to show up as more requests for flexible working, reduced hours, phased returns, and a lot of quiet stress if managers get sniffy about it.
“Handle it badly and you are not just risking morale, you are teeing up a discrimination or unfair treatment row. Do this now. If you cannot stretch to enhanced paid leave, offer a cheaper win. A few paid ‘buffer’ days, a phased return plan, or a temporary hours drop with a review date. Cheaper than replacing a good person.”
Cumulative cost burden
Colette Mason, Author & AI Consultant at London-based Clever Clogs AI, said small businesses will struggle with yet more red tape.
She continued: “SMEs are already reeling from National Insurance and National Minimum Wage hikes. Add day-one parental leave rights, and you’ve got a cumulative cost burden that could push marginal businesses over the edge. However, parents buckling under pressure, turning up just to tick the ‘attendance box’, aren’t productive.
“Businesses are paying for presence, not performance. A decent AI assistant can summarise every missed meeting, flag the decisions that actually matter most, and draft catch-up responses quickly to minimise mental overload on the worker and speed up their return. Smart businesses must see this as the perfect moment to invest in AI that makes flexibility sustainable and not just removing the grind in their workflows.
“You’re not replacing people, you’re removing the operational punishment and profit drop that comes with compassion when employees under fire need it most. Will businesses build AI systems that support both people and profits, or just absorb costs and breed resentment on both sides?”
Onslaught for businesses
Kundan Bhaduri, Entrepreneur, Investor and Landlord at London-based The Kushman Group, criticised the move.
He added: “This is yet another onslaught for businesses, especially the smaller and medium size enterprises who are already on their knees. When will this government learn that if businesses do not create jobs there will be no parental leaves to take?
“More bureaucracy and more red tape is only going to cause disruption to small and midsize businesses who cannot afford to have elaborate HR teams. Will this government never learn?”
Photo by Ryan Stefan on Unsplash.
