A new policy evaluation case study from Understanding Society says that the Shared Parental Leave policy introduced in 2015 found no evidence that a higher percentage of fathers took leave or that the length of leave taken by fathers increased in response to the policy.
The case study summarises the findings of a working paper from the IZA Institute of Labor Economics which used Understanding Society data to examine the effects of the policy on eligible parents. It also follows a new policy brief from the University of Bath.
Shared Parental Leave was introduced in April 2015 to allow eligible working parents to share up to 50 weeks of leave in their child’s first year. The intention was to encourage greater leave-sharing and for mothers to return to work earlier. This would, it was thought, help with work-life balance, and reduce the gender pay gap. The pay gap between men and women widens after parenthood and half of this increase is due to mothers spending less time in full-time work.
The researchers from the University of Bath and Cardiff University used Understanding Society’s longitudinal data to compare the take-up and length of leave of working fathers whose children were born before April 2015 (not eligible to use the policy) and those whose children arrived in or after April 2015 (eligible). They suggest that low uptake of shared leave may be down to restrictive eligibility criteria, low level of compensation, and complex rules, saying:
“Our evidence reinforces questions as to the effectiveness of SPL in the UK and suggests reform is required if it is to meet its aim of encouraging fathers to play a greater caring role in their child’s first year.”
Read the policy evaluation case study from Understanding Society
This research used Understanding Society data Waves 1-13
EmploymentFamily and householdsFindings and impact
