Many fathers are unaware of the parental leave options available to them.

Research by Aviva in the UK shows: 

• Half of working fathers haven’t heard of shared parental leave.
• Nine out of 10 parents believe mums and dads should be given equal parental leave. 
• Most fathers take less than a month off work when a child arrives.
• One in 10 fathers took no time off work at the arrival of their most recent child.

Nearly half (46%) of working fathers are unaware they are entitled to take shared parental leave on the arrival of a child, according to new research.

The survey, conducted by Aviva, also shows that one in 10 dads (11%) took no time off whatsoever when their most recent child arrived. Businesses are therefore being urged to do more to make sure their male staff know their rights, to enable them to spend precious time with their newborn or adopted children.

Crucially, the survey of UK parents with dependent children found that 86% of fathers would have taken more time off at the arrival of their children, but felt restricted by financial factors and employer constraints.

“Many fathers feel overlooked and under-supported by their employer.”

Sarah Morris, Chief People Officer, Aviva

Nine out of 10 parents questioned (93%) felt that employers should give both mums and dads equal parental leave when a new child arrives. 

But the majority of fathers (56%) took less than a month off work when their most recent child was born or adopted: the time taken by this group was typically 12 days. By comparison, mums took more than a year off work on average.