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04 February 2011 / Juliet Carp
Issue: 7451 / Categories: Features , Family
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Justice for fathers?

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Juliet Carp welcomes a new addition to the family—transferable maternity leave

Politicians have been talking for a long time about letting families decide how fathers and mothers should split leave after a baby is born. The Additional Paternity Leave Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/1055) are finally due to come into force for families whose babies are due on or after 3 April 2011. This will allow up to 26 weeks’ “additional maternity leave” to be transferred to a baby’s father after the mother has returned to work. (Similar arrangements apply to same sex families and adopting families.)

Upside

The new legislation offers some positive benefits. Clearly, many fathers will have greater opportunity to spend time with their new babies (and older siblings) and, at a more practical level, this could give families where the mother earns more than the father a chance to make some financial savings. Many comment that, given typical disparities in earning power, most fathers will not take up the offer of additional paternity leave. However, that rather misses the point. Large

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