Men Fear Shared Parental Leave Makes Them Look ‘Less Of A Man’

A small majority of British men fear that sharing parental leave isn’t in the best interests of their child and say dads who take it run the risk of being seen as “less of a man”.  That's according to a new study outlining the unspoken fears of men across the UK about a lack of confidence in, and negative attitudes towards, Shared Parental Leave (SPL), which was introduced there in 2015.

A survey commissioned by arts organisation Southbank Centre, ahead of its BAM - Being A Man festival, shows that 52 per cent of men who have taken SPL worry that it wasn’t in the best interests of their child and 51 per cent say men taking it run the risk of being seen as less manly.

Whilst 63 per cent of men who are eligible for the leave agree that it can contribute to a child’s emotional and educational development, 33 per cent of men who chose not to take it say they made that decision as they think their partner is the best person to look after their children.

Financial concerns

Only 36 per cent of those eligible for SPL have taken it and 81 per cent of them opted to take 15 weeks or less, compared to the 50 weeks that they are entitled to take. Fewer than two in five men who are eligible for the leave say they are aware of it, and understand it. 73 per cent of fathers who weren’t aware of the leave would have considered taking it if they had known about it.

Nearly seventy per cent of those who chose not to take SPL (68 per cent) say that financial implications are the main factor for refusing it and 40 per cent of men who could take the leave feel their employer wouldn’t be likely to support their request for time off.

This implies that either the gender pay gap is still an issue, driving men with higher salaries to return to work, or that many workplaces still don’t have parenting packages that equally benefit men. Over seventy per cent (72 per cent) of men surveyed said that creating a strong early bond with their child would be their top motivator to take SPL and 76 per cent of men who are considering having a child say they will take this leave.

Dads are missing out

"These findings give a stark picture of how new fathers are missing out on crucial time with their children due to fears about how parental leave is viewed by employers, and society." said Ted Hodgkinson, Southbank Centre’s Lead Programmer for BAM.

"Without better exploring and challenging the weight of traditional expectations about men's roles and issues more widely, in a safe space, families and society will continue to lose out."

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