Home   Colouring Pages   Days Out   Education   Food   Health   Parenting   Pregnancy & Babies   Printables   Shopping   Travel

 

  

Dads Really Do Want To Spend Time With The Baby

22nd February 2010

Flexible working is increasingly important to modern dads who want to take care of their children, according to figures just published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).

More than half (56%) of dads surveyed with children 16 and under said that they would look for an employer who offers flexible working when choosing a new job.

The overwhelming majority (91%) of dads with children aged five or under believe it is important that fathers have the option to take paid paternity leave. Nearly two thirds (62%) believe a dad’s relationship with their child will suffer if they are not at home after the baby is born.

However, while these findings show how important it is to fathers to spend time with their family, some remain unsure of the rights currently in place to help them. The poll found:

  • A fifth (20%) of dads with kids aged 16 or under - who, by law, are entitled to request flexible working from their employer - did not know if their company offered flexible working to fathers; 
  • One in three (34%) parents with children aged nought to five did not realise that paid paternity leave is law; and
  • One in five (22%) wrongly assumed that fathers only needed to approach their employer to ask for this leave when the baby was born or before it was eight weeks old. (To benefit from legal paternity rights, fathers must speak with their employer 15 weeks before the baby is due).

The research comes as BIS launches a campaign to raise awareness among dads of their rights at work to help them care for their child.

Click here to watch new dads talking about how their entitlements have helped them to spend more time with their child.

Fathers are entitled to:-

  • Request flexible working – parents of a child 16 or under, are entitled to request flexible working such as flexi time, part time or working from home, and, by law, an employer must seriously consider the request;
  • Paid paternity leave – new dads can take two weeks’ paid leave. They need to notify their employer 15 weeks before the due date;
  • Parental leave– dads have the right to take up to 13 weeks unpaid leave until their child is five years old.

The month long awareness campaign, called Dads at Work, will see posters and consumer information leaflets distributed in outlets such as GP surgeries and ante-natal clinics directing dads to http://www.direct.gov.uk/dadsatwork for detailed information. Online advertising will also appear on websites that attract high volumes of ‘dad’ visitors.

The campaign is also supported by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, which has recently unveiled its Support For All Families and Relationships Green Paper that sets out how government can support and recognise dads; and by Rob Williams, Chief Executive of the Fatherhood Institute, the UK's fatherhood think tank and consultancy.

Ground-Breaking DVD Launched For New Dads
Kids And Dads Show The Joy Of Reading Together
The Secret Of Happy Parents
7 Ideas For Father’s Day




This Week
Pancake Day
Valentine's Day
Spring Printables
St. David's Day

Sign Up To Our Newsletter

Big Panto Guide - Find a Panto This Christmas
Colouring Pictures at eParenting

Recycle Your
Mobile Phone

Home | Contact Us | Link to Us | About | Privacy Policy | Sitemap | Legal and Disclaimer
ŠeParenting 2004 - 2012
www.eparenting.co.uk