TUC poll highlights case for parental leave to be paid

An opinion poll published in March 1999 by the UK Trades Union Congress indicates that one in three parents would not be able to take up the right to parental leave contained in the current Employment Relations Bill unless the leave is paid.

According to an opinion poll commissioned by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), 34% of parents (1.7 million) will not be able to afford to take unpaid parental leave, except in emergencies, and only 15% of parents would take full advantage of the parental leave rights to be introduced under the Employment Relations Bill now under consideration by Parliament (UK9902180F). Furthermore, 13% of respondents said that they were unlikely to take leave except in emergencies, because they were worried that their employer would hold it against them.

A report on the likely take-up rate of unpaid parental leave, based on the poll findings, was launched at the TUC Women's Conference on 11 March 1999. The TUC says that parents, particularly those on low incomes, will need to have a replacement income if they are to take up their parental leave rights, and that fathers in particular are unlikely to take an active role in childcare unless at least some parental leave is paid. The TUC calculates that providing GBP 60 a week (the current lowest rate for statutory maternity pay) for parents on leave would cost the Government around GBP 250 million a year.

Reflecting the EU Directive on parental leave (96/34/EC), the Employment Relations Bill includes a right for employees to be absent from work for at least three months on parental leave for the purpose of caring for a child, and to take a reasonable amount of time off during working hours if necessary to deal with domestic incidents. Regulations will set out the details and are due to take effect in December 1999. The government does not intend to make provision for statutory parental leave to be paid.

In a statement, TUC general secretary John Monks said that: "It is time to start a national debate about how best to ensure that every parent is able to take full advantage of parental leave - and it is clear that this is going to include moving from unpaid leave to paid leave. Good employers already recognise that this is a key element in promoting family-friendly employment and encouraging staff loyalty."

In 1998, the TUC and other pressure groups established the Parental Leave Campaign to lobby for parental leave to be paid (UK9811160N).

A 1997 EIRO comparative study of parental leave arrangements across Europe (TN9801201S) found that the predominant factor in determining take-up rates is widely seen as being whether parental leave is paid, and to what extent.