Almost half of fathers have not heard of shared parental leave, survey finds

93% of dads would have taken longer off work when their child arrived if their employer had allowed it

One in 10 fathers took no time off at all after the birth of their last child (Getty Images)

Almost half of working fathers have never heard of shared parental leave and the majority took less than one month off after the birth of their most recent child, a study has found. By comparison, mums took more than a year off work on average.

Ninety-three per cent of dads surveyed by Aviva said they would have taken longer off work when their child arrived if their employer had allowed it, while one in 10 took no time off whatsoever.

The results come despite efforts by the government to ensure men and women share childcare responsibilities more equally. New rights came into effect in 2015 allowing parents up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay to share between them, but awareness of the entitlements remains low.

Despite the fact that 46 per cent of men did not know they could take shared parental leave, 93 per cent felt that employers should offer it.

Financial constraints were cited by 86 per cent of respondents as a reason for not taking more time off after their baby was born.

Previous research has indicated that the gender pay gap could be reduced if men took more time off and women less.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission said last year that this would lessen the “motherhood penalty” that sees mothers paid less after childbirth than fathers.

Sarah Morris, chief people officer for Aviva, said that the research suggests many fathers feel: “overlooked and under-supported by their employer.”

“Family-friendly working policies can offer huge benefits to employers and workers alike, whether this means extended parental leave, flexible working, or options for job shares,” she said.

“We hope to see more employers introducing inclusive policies for both men and women, to help working parents strike a balance and get the most out of their lives, inside and outside work.”