A new study has warned that the UK’s parental leave regime is lagging behind comparable countries, with researchers arguing that low statutory pay, limited support for fathers and weak links with childcare are holding back progress towards more equal caregiving. Launched at a House of Commons event, the report from King’s Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, produced with Working Families, says the UK has a broad set of rights on paper but that complex rules and poor pay mean many parents cannot use them in practice.

Low pay and limited uptake undermine existing rights

The report compares the UK with Australia and Poland, and says the difference lies not just in the level of entitlement but in how the schemes are built. In the UK, statutory pay drops to a flat rate after the first six weeks of leave, while fathers are generally entitled to just two weeks of paternity leave at the same rate. Shared Parental Leave has also had little impact, with the report saying only about 1% of mothers and 4% of fathers or partners have used it. Researchers argue that this keeps mothers in the role of default carers and leaves families with few realistic options for sharing care.

Australia and Poland show alternative approaches

By contrast, Australia and Poland are presented as examples of how better design can change behaviour. According to the report, Australia has expanded paid parental leave, introduced reserved leave that parents cannot transfer to each other, and started paying pension contributions on government-funded leave. Poland, meanwhile, introduced two months of earnings-related, non-transferable leave for fathers under the European Union’s Work-Life Balance framework, lifting take-up from around 1% before reform to 24% in 2025.

Calls for a redesigned system centred on equality

The report says the UK should move away from simply promoting Shared Parental Leave and instead redesign the system around three principles: properly paid leave, individual rights that fathers and partners cannot hand over, and better coordination with childcare. It also warns that parental leave reform cannot be separated from childcare policy or flexible working rights. Sarah Russell, the Labour MP for Congleton, said ring-fenced paid leave for fathers and non-birthing parents should be seen as essential to a more equal society, while Professor Heejung Chung said properly paid, non-transferable leave is an economic policy as much as a family one. Jane van Zyl, chief executive of Working Families, said parents need a system that works as family infrastructure rather than a complicated benefit few can afford to use.

Reward Strategy Says

There are growing calls for the reform of the UK’s parental leave framework, highlighting concerns that low statutory pay and limited support for fathers are restricting uptake and reinforcing traditional caregiving patterns. Better-paid, non-transferable parental leave and closer alignment with childcare provision could improve workforce participation, gender equality and talent retention. With international examples demonstrating higher take-up rates among fathers following targeted reforms, employers may face increasing pressure to enhance occupational parental leave benefits beyond statutory minimums. Reward teams should monitor policy developments closely, as any future changes could have significant implications for leave policies, workforce planning, gender pay gap objectives and broader employee value proposition strategies.