News
Dads Get That Loving Feeling Too
Posted: June 16, 2005
Today's new dads are more willing than ever to combine the daily grind of work with staying at home to change nappies and warm bottles, according to new research by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC).
Almost eight out of 10 working fathers revealed that they would be happy to stay at home and look after their baby, while almost nine out of 10 men felt as confident as their partner when caring for their child. In general, seven out of ten dads wanted to be more involved with caring for their child.
These findings reflect a dramatic shift in attitudes towards fatherhood.
Two decades ago more than half of dads believed a father's job was that of provider while the mother's place was in the home. That percentage has shrunk to just 20%. And despite fathers' traditional role as the breadwinner, nearly six out of ten men believed that being the main provider was not the most important aspect of being a dad. Indeed, of fathers whose partners were working before birth, a third were earning similar or lower salaries.
Responding to this evolution in fatherhood, the EOC is calling for additional dads' paternity rights beyond those proposed by the Government's consultation paper 'Work and Families: Choice and Flexibility'.
Today the Commission delivered a special Father's Day card to the Prime Minister, Tony Blair and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, setting out its recommendations on parental leave.
Copies of the card were also sent to Conservative party leader, Michael Howard, and Liberal Democrat party leader, Charles Kennedy.
More than nine out of 10 new dads currently take leave from work during their baby's first eight weeks to share parenting responsibilities and support their partners. Loss of pay, workload pressures and employers' attitudes were cited as the main reasons for not spending more time at home.
The Government's consultation paper, allowing working mothers to 'transfer' maternity leave to their partners beyond the first six months, would not go far enough to address current issues, claims the EOC.
The Commission is now calling for 'shared' parental leave rights in the second six months following the birth, giving both fathers a more equal chance to a work break to care for their child, including rights for fathers whose partners were not working before the birth and so do not have maternity leave.
The EOC further recommends increasing the level of Statutory Paternity Pay to 90% of earnings subject to a cap followed by an extension of paid paternity leave from two to four weeks, thus creating a 'Daddy Month' to be taken on a more flexible basis over the baby's first year.
Jenny Watson, Acting Chair of the EOC, said: "All the evidence shows that fathers today are different from their own fathers and grandfathers and the policy makers have to keep up and get in step - they have to be as confident as fathers are saying they are.
"This research reveals how much attitudes to fatherhood have shifted in recent years. Dads no longer see themselves solely as the breadwinner. They want to spend more time at home, actively sharing the responsibility of caring for their baby.
"While the Government's transferable maternity leave is a step in the right direction, it only gives fathers access to leave where the mother has been working and has maternity rights to share.
"Shared parental leave, as we are recommending, allows new dads to play a greater role in caring for their children during their early years, which they have demonstrated they have want."
Adding his support to the research findings, Duncan Fisher, chief executive of Fathers Direct, said: "This research demonstrates beyond doubt how much new dads want to be involved with their babies, which we know is vital for long-term child welfare.
"Our leave system will continue to be antiquated and out of step with modern families unless the Government revises its plans by creating extended, well-paid paternity leave and introduces shared parental leave rather than transferable maternity leave."
The 'Fathers and the First Year' research revealed that half of new dads felt their statutory entitlement of just two weeks leave at the time of the birth was not long enough. Of those, more than two-thirds supported increasing that time to four weeks, supporting the EOC's call for a 'Daddy Month', which can be taken at any time during a baby's first year.
And four out of five dads felt that the current Statutory Paternity Pay level of £106 (€153) was too low. However, many employers often go over and above the statutory entitlements of two weeks' leave at £106 (€153) per week. But one in four taking paternity leave did not receive full pay for any of their leave. Fathers from non-white groups and fathers in unskilled manual occupations are less likely to have taken leave.
For full EOC recommendations visit eoc.org.uk