New fathers must have same pay rights as mothers, says Nick Clegg, who vows to smash 'Edwardian' view on raising children
By James Chapman, Political Editor in Daily Mail
Originally published by East Midlands Liberal Democrats
Reforms would see fathers in Civil Service given same package as mothers
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Family man: Nick Clegg with his wife Miriam in February 2009 as they were leaving hospital with baby Miguel
It would enable them to benefit from new system of shared parental leave -
He wants to 'blaze a trail' for employers across private and public sector
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From April next year new parents will share 52 weeks of parental leave
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Mothers will have to use first two weeks but rest can be transferred
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It will mean fathers can tell employers he wants as much as 50 weeks off
Fathers should be able to take a year off work to look after young children with the same pay and benefits entitlements as women, Nick Clegg will say today.
Announcing changes to the Civil Service's benefits, the Deputy Prime Minister says he wants to smash an 'Edwardian' attitude that women rather than men should stay at home to look after their families.
Under his reforms, fathers working in the Civil Service are to be given the same package as mothers do now to enable them to take advantage of a new system of shared parental leave.
He will say he wants the reform to 'blaze a trail' for employers across the private and public sector. From April next year, new parents will be able to share 52 weeks of parental leave.
Mothers will have to use the first two weeks, deemed important for recovery and bonding with a baby.
Then they will be able to transfer the rest of their time off to their partner - meaning a father can tell his employer he wants as much as 50 weeks off. Alternatively, parents could each take 25 weeks to run concurrently - or opt to chop and change leave, so that one takes a period of time off and then the other.
Under Mr Clegg's plan, a male civil servant will be able to take up to six months off on full pay, providing they have a year's service, followed by six further weeks at 90 per cent of full pay - the same as is currently offered to women staff.
As result, it will no longer just be new mums working in the Civil Service who can take maternity leave at full pay.
Dads will also be able to benefit from enhanced pay for shared parental leave, if both parents choose to carve up their time between them.'
While many employers offer more than the statutory minimum maternity pay - 90 per cent of average weekly earnings for the first six weeks, then £138.18 for the next 33 weeks - few employers offer anything other than the statutory minimum paternity pay for new fathers, who can currently take just a fortnight off.
The new system of shared parental leave has already been the subject of a fierce Coalition argument and split businesses.
It has angered some Conservatives, who argue industry cannot be expected to cope with more rights for employees as the economy comes out of recession.
The Institute of Directors has condemned the new rights as a 'nightmare for small businesses', but the Confederation of British Industry says it is pleased the Government had listened to concerns about how the system will operate.
Critics have suggested few men will be able to afford to take up the new right to extended periods off work - which is what Mr Clegg wishes to address.
He has insisted there is a need for a culture change to tackle 'clapped out' attitudes to flexible, family-friendly working practices.
A spokesman for parenting charity NCT said: 'NCT would like to see the Government take action to increase maternity and paternity pay and ensure fathers can afford to take advantage of shared parental leave when it comes into effect.'