It has been ten years since we launched Shared Parental Leave (SPL) in the UK with the promise of a “culture change.” As someone who has watched this policy since its inception in 2015, I find the latest data absolutely devastating. What was meant to be a revolution in how we raise our children has instead become a “lost decade” of progress.
When I look at the figures I’ve obtained through Freedom of Information requests, the reality is stark. In four of our largest public sector employers—including the NHS and the Ministry of Justice—fewer than one in 60 workers are actually sharing leave. Out of over 274,000 parental leave requests between 2020 and 2025, a mere 1.55% were for SPL.
The Policy Architecture is Crumbling
I recently spoke with Jo Swinson, who originally introduced this policy. She admitted to me that it hasn’t achieved its potential, largely because it lacked the “energy and backing” of successive governments. But the failure goes deeper than just a lack of enthusiasm.
In my view, the system is fundamentally flawed for two reasons:
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The “Sacrifice” Requirement: Under current rules, a mother has to “give up” part of her maternity leave for the partner to take any. It’s a zero-sum game that creates unnecessary tension.
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Lack of Ringfencing: We haven’t created “take it or leave it” periods specifically for fathers. Without dedicated, non-transferable time, the default remains the status quo.
A Growing Class Divide
What worries me most is that time with a newborn has become a luxury item. My analysis of HMRC data shows that SPL is increasingly the preserve of the wealthy, concentrated in the South East of England.
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The Pay Gap: A staggering 95% of those who used SPL last year were in the top half of earners (making over £37,800).
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Pricing Out “Normal Blokes”: Back in 2015, one in ten claims came from low-paid fathers. Today, that has plummeted to one in twenty.
As George Gabriel from The Dad Shift rightly pointed out to me, we have turned early fatherhood into a class issue. Average working dads are simply being priced out of those crucial early months, despite all the evidence showing that active fatherhood benefits the mother, the baby, and the father himself.
We Need a Leap, Not a Tweak
The government is currently conducting an 18-month review of the parental leave system, which some are calling a “watershed moment.” However, I agree with the MPs on the Women and Equalities Committee: tinkering around the edges of a broken system isn’t enough.
We don’t need incremental changes; we need a leap. I am advocating for:
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Increased Statutory Pay: Paternity leave should be paid at 90% of earnings, not the current pittance that forces families back to work.
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Independent Entitlements: Fathers should have their own “use it or lose it” leave that doesn’t rely on the mother’s entitlement.
We cannot afford another ten years of stagnation. Around half a million new parents every year are waiting for a system that actually works for them. It’s time we stop treating paternal involvement as an optional extra and start treating it as a fundamental right for every worker, regardless of their salary.
