Member Article

Deputy PM calls for ‘family friendly working’ as firms sign better paternity packages

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is encouraging businesses to do more to support family friendly working as several major employers announce paternity packages for their staff.

Deloitte, PWC and Shell have responded to the public sector’s plans to give equal pay to all civil servants and giving working fathers the same kinds of benefits as mothers when they take leave after their child is born.

The firms who between them employ nearly 100,000 people in the UK, have announced today that they’ll be offering enhanced paternity packages to all their employees.

A major Mumsnet survey showed that 39% of dads have had to use their paid annual leave just to get time off after their child was born and 80% of parents said they would have preferred the father to take a longer period of paternity leave.

The Deputy Prime Minister is a hosting a unique forum with the CBI, Mumsnet and large employers this morning to discuss how businesses can boost their family-friendly offer and retain talented parents in the workforce.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: “I’m delighted that Deloitte, PWC and Shell are taking positive steps in modernising the workplace by providing flexible working arrangements for hardworking parents.

“We need a modern Britain that works for modern families, not against them. I’ve fought hard in government to bring about that change whether it’s through the introduction of flexible working, free childcare, shared parental leave or equalising paternity pay so that men can spend more time with their newborn child without being penalised financially.”

Emma Codd, managing partner for talent at Deloitte, said:“Supporting parents that work at Deloitte is a firm-wide priority, and was recently recognised with our inclusion in the Top Employers for Working Families list.

“We’re encouraged by the changes that the Government is introducing, which have the potential for a hugely positive impact, but meeting that potential requires wide-spread adoption.

“Beyond SPL, we are introducing additional enhanced parental policies, including paid time off for fathers and partners to attend ante-natal appointments, and for co-adopters to attend adoption appointments.”

In government, the Deputy Prime Minister has committed to a series of changes to help hard-working families.

These include the introduction of Shared Parental Leave (from April 2015) to enable mums and dads to share the leave entitlement for the first months after their child is born, and an extension of free childcare places provision - from September 2014, 40% of 2-year-olds from the lowest income families are now eligible for free childcare places.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .