More dads snap up 16 weeks paid paternity leave to bond with babies

Data published today by insurer Zurich shows that dads at the company are choosing to take more time off work to bond with their new children. The majority (73%) are taking the full 16 weeks paid paternity leave, up from 66% in 2020. A further 7% (80% cumulative) have taken at least 10 weeks since the launch of the insurer’s family friendly policies in 2019 to its 4,500 UK employees.

In total, over 220 dads and second parents have now benefitted from the policy, enabling them to spend over 325,000 additional hours with their new families. The demand confirms that second parents want an active role in raising their children, despite the infrastructure in most workplaces, not being available to support them.

New research¹ shows that 76% of dads and second parents were offered just two weeks paternity leave by their employer, the minimum statutory requirement in the UK. Worryingly, three in five new dads don’t take this leave because of financial pressures, which have been made worse by the cost-of-living crisis. While two thirds (64%) who took the time did not receive their full salary during their time off.

Zurich’s own external research shows that two fifths of dads don’t take the amount of time they need to bond with their new children. And for those not taking any time off, almost half (45%) said it was because they couldn’t afford to take a drop in their salaries.

Commenting, Steve Collinson, Chief HR Officer for Zurich UK said:

“Our data proves that by having the right policies in place, we can properly support modern families. It’s fantastic to see more second parents at Zurich making full use of the family leave package on offer. Many organisations’ current maternity and paternity leave policies were written decades ago when family life was unrecognisable to how it is now. We know that most parents want to play an active role in family life and so workplace policies must reflect that.

“By enhancing statutory provision for all parents, we are supporting them in being the parents they want to be. I believe we’re also rewarded by a happy and committed workforce. Attracting top talent is still a challenge and this is another tool in our armoury. We urge Government to enhance the statutory pay for fathers and second parents, which in turn will encourage more employers to follow suit.”

¹Half of UK parents not happy with paternity packages offered by employers: The Fatherhood Institute

Case studies

Derek McWhinnie, head of customer care at Zurich, lives near Southampton with wife Michelle and their four children – Harry 6, Ava 5, Elise 3 and Rory who’s now 18 months.

Rory was born in March 2021 when Derek took an initial two weeks of his paternity leave, plus a week’s holiday. He then kept the rest of his time until the summer.

Derek spent from July through to the end of September helping the family settle into a new routine. They spent time visiting relatives in Scotland, and as much time as possible away from home. Days in country parks and at local beaches enjoying family time and trying to keep all four children happy and entertained.

Zurich’s paternity leave package was a huge benefit to Derek, he adds: “It was the first six week block we’d experienced together, and without me at home, that might have been daunting for any parent trying to do it alone. The time off enabled us to adjust and get into a bit of a routine - as well as managing the building project and little Rory. Without this time off, life would have been stressful for us all.

“It worked too from a work perspective as I was open and honest from the outset about how I intended to take the time. It enabled my manager to plan and prepare so that when I returned, it was as if I’d not been away. The whole team have been incredibly supportive.”

Having returned to work, Derek works flexibly and says he manages to strike a good balance with home and work as he’s keen to do a great job on both fronts.

Shaun Munday is a Senior Real Estate Underwriter for Zurich and based the insurer’s London office (within the Schemes and Captives team).

He lives in Basingstoke with his family - wife Nadine and their son Leo James. Leo was born on 4 July 2021. Shaun took his paternity leave in two parts – spending five weeks at home when Leo was born before returning to work for 8 weeks. He then took his remaining entitlement from early October 2021.

He spent his time off supporting Nadine recover after the birth and shared looking after their new baby boy. Nadine has also been on maternity leave since June and so their time off has overlapped and enabled them to bond as a family.

Shaun adds, “I’m forever grateful to Zurich for offering this amazing benefit. Having spent time bonding with Leo, he responds to me like he does to Nadine. I’ve been able to support at home in ways I’d not have been able to without this policy, and we’ve really worked as a team. I’ve been able to switch off from work and really focus on my family”.

“Before taking paternity leave, I did have reservations in the back of my mind about how this might impact my career, but as it happens, I’ve actually been promoted and feel I can still pursue my ambition.

“This benefit is a great way to retain a younger workforce, many of whom will be thinking about starting families. It’s no longer accepted that women shoulder all of the childcare – I too want to play an active role and I really enjoyed my time off supporting my wife and son”.

Andy King works as a strategy manager in Zurich UK’s claims team. His daughter India was born in October 2021. He took three weeks off then to support partner Fi who gave birth with Covid. The first week was complicated with mum in isolation and baby India receiving intensive care for respiratory problems. Big brother Kade (15) was unable to see his new sister too because of Covid restrictions.

Andy took his remaining paternity leave in June 2022 – spending the first month with Fi before her return to work, moving into a new role on day 1 of her return. He then took the reigns as primary carer through to September.

“I took the full entitlement which made a huge difference for us. It enabled me to support Fi back to work and meant she could fully focus on her new job without worrying about India. It also saved us a fortune in childcare costs. Being primary carer for those few months really enhanced my bond with India too – something I saw as a once in a lifetime opportunity.

“Whilst I’d loved my time off, returning to work was a little nerve wracking, just from having taken a big chunk of time out. Whilst I thought I had a good understanding, it really brought to life the reality that primary carers must face when returning to work. Zurich’s fantastic family leave policy and the support and guidance we give to leaders in facilitating people’s return to the workplace is vital in ensuring we maintain an engaged and supported workforce.”