Reform maternity, paternity, shared parental & adoption leave and pay

Introduce a single entitlement to one year of leave per family. This would be shared as preferred by the parents, with an equal split as the default. All leave should be paid at usual salary, partly funded by the government, and partly by the employer (with larger employers contributing more).

This petition closed on 19 Nov 2023 with 192 signatures


Reticulating Splines

You may be interested in these active petitions

1. Raise statutory maternity/paternity pay to match the National Living Wage - 103,823 signatures
2. Improve statutory paternity leave in the UK to better support families. - 2,494 signatures
3. Launch a public enquiry into Veterans UK - 2,104 signatures
4. Grant automatic visa extension and ILR for Ukrainians after 5 years - 13,573 signatures
5. Provide funding to preserve and protect cemeteries around the UK. - 4,039 signatures

The gender pay gap is mostly driven by women reducing time at work to care for children. Many young couples want to share work and childcare more equally but find it financially difficult with the current government policy. Reform can support more gender equal parenting, enabling more active fatherhood and empowering women at work.
Additionally, birth rates are at a historic low. Urgent action is needed so young people can afford to have kids, including well-paid parental leave.


Petition Signatures over time

Constituency Data

Reticulating Splines