Paternity leave in Scotland 'amongst the worst in Europe' as dramatic overhaul urged

Statutory paternity leave gives new fathers just two weeks leave on less than half the minimum wage, and nothing for those who are self-employed.

MPs will on Thursday debate the UK’s statutory paternity leave offer in the House of Commons to mark International Men’s Day.

Speaking to The Scotsman, Dunfermline and Dollar MP Graeme Downie said: “Paternity leave comes up on the doorsteps all the time because it is not effective and leaves a huge imbalance.

“Dads want to spend time with their kids but they can’t, and that impacts women too because it limits their opportunities.

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“My experience was OK because I was able to work from home and spend time with both of my kids, but most men are not able to do that.”

Research from the campaign group The Dad Shift suggests Scottish fathers claimed £1.8 million of paternity leave in 2023/25 - less than 1 per cent of the total maternity leave claimed in the same period.

Scottish fathers account for 3.4 per cent of all paternity leave in 2024/25, something The Dad Shift says is “relatively low given the population size versus the rest of the UK”.

Mr Downie said there was also a class issue, as the research by Opinium suggests 90 per cent of paternity leave claimed in the UK is by the top 50 per cent of earners. A total of 58 per cent of those polled say being able to spend time with their children is “becoming a class issue”.

Mr Downie said: “Public sector paternity is not particularly good and self-employed people don’t get any access. It is amongst the worst in Europe, so we need to increase statutory leave for a start.

“Many council workers are offered the absolute minimum because no one in the public sector goes further than they have to. The police for example - most serving police officers take one week maximum, not the full two weeks.”

Mr Downie said many feel pressure from employers not to take the full paternity leave that is on offer, stressing there needed to be a cultural shift.

Mr Downie said: “You could have women being able to choose to work and dads becoming the primary carer ... legislation has not kept up with what men want.”

Carole Erskine, head of policy and campaigns at charity Pregnant Then Screwed, said: “Women have been paying the price of rubbish paternity leave for decades. For many women, physical recovery alone can take months and so a system that forces partners back to work too soon is devastating.”

She added: “We need to make parental leave make sense. We need to give dads and partners decent leave, to match that of mums, and we need to pay it properly too, so that everyone can take it and it doesn't hinge on if you can afford to.”

UK employment rights minister Kate Dearden said: “No dad should feel they cannot spend meaningful time with their children and supporting them to do so is essential.

“I’m committed to ensuring they have the strongest possible backing to balance work and family life as part of our plan to make work pay.

“We know the current parental leave system needs improving, which is why we’re carrying out a comprehensive review to make sure it truly works for modern families.

“Our landmark Employment Rights Bill will also make paternity leave a right from day one, a vital step in giving parents the flexibility and support they deserve.”