Retail leads the way on paternity leave as government urged to improve offer
Reported by The Guardian Business, not nibnow. We are not the publisher of this story, only the source is.
Employees like Joe Erskine are seeing a tangible benefit from longer paid paternity leave, which can improve family wellbeing and work-life balance.
M&S and Tesco are among employers offering six weeks, highlighting gap with construction and agriculture “Being able to take six weeks’ paid paternity leave, flexibly, made a huge difference to me and my family, giving me the time to support my partner and settle into being a new parent,” said Marks & Spencer employee Joe Erskine. The food and clothing retailer increased its paternity leave offering from two to six weeks at full pay in 2024, meaning Erskine benefited from the new policy when his
In the UK, statutory paternity leave is two weeks at statutory pay; many employers offer additional weeks as a benefit, and the length of such leave varies widely across sectors, with retail now leading the way.
- •Government discussion on extending statutory paternity leave or improving pay rates
- •Other sectors such as construction and agriculture adopting longer paternity leave packages
- •Potential announcements from major retailers about further enhancements to parental benefits