The UK’s parental leave system is falling short for new families, with financial pressures and inadequate entitlements pushing parents back to work too soon. According to the latest Working Families Index 2025, based on a survey of over 3,000 working parents, many are unable to take the time they need to care for their newborns.
The research found that 4 in 10 mothers said they were not able to take the necessary leave after the birth of their child. One in five fathers reported having no entitlement to parental leave at all. This lack of adequate support has led to many parents feeling forced to return to work prematurely.
Enhanced parental leave, where available, is making a tangible difference. The report shows that fathers with access to enhanced leave took an average of three and a half weeks longer than those without. Mothers with enhanced leave took an average of six additional weeks. However, financial pressures remain the primary reason parents shorten their leave. Almost half (47 percent) of parents said they could not afford to take more time off. Seven in ten fathers who did not take their full two weeks of statutory paternity leave cited financial worries as the main reason. Mothers who were concerned about finances returned to work eight weeks earlier than those without such worries.
Calls for Reform of UK Parental Leave System
The findings have led to renewed calls for reform. Campaigner, author and founder of Mother Pukka, Anna Whitehouse, said, “The UK’s parental leave system is stuck in the past. Two weeks of paternity leave, if you’re even entitled to it, doesn’t cut it. It’s not enough time to support a partner recovering from birth, not enough time to find your feet as a new parent and certainly not enough time to build anything close to equality at home.
“When dads are forced back to work after days, not weeks, the pressure piles on mums – physically, mentally, emotionally. Decent paid leave for both parents shouldn’t just be on a wish list, it’s the way we build stronger families, healthier workplaces and a more equal future for the next generation.”
Elliott Rae, speaker, author and founder of the movement ‘Parenting Out Loud’, echoed these sentiments. “These findings confirm what so many dads have experienced for years: paternity leave in the UK simply isn’t good enough. Two weeks, often unpaid or low paid, doesn’t give fathers the chance to properly support their partner, care for their baby or adjust to life as a new parent.
“When dads can’t take time off, the pressure lands heavily on mothers. This isn’t just a dads’ issue – this is about supporting the whole family. If we’re serious about equality, serious about mental health and serious about giving children the best start in life, we need to rethink our parental leave system. That means better paid, longer paternity leave and a cultural shift that values dads as caregivers, not just breadwinners.”
