Should men receive full pay on paternity leave?

[mj.scuba 10]

I recieved no paternity pay - it wasn't done then. I took annual leave, i rescheduled my working days and days off to allow for hospital visits following C section etc.

 

Paternity leave isn't a right it's a gift. Accept it as that or don't bother. Employers shouldn't have to compensate for peoples lifestyle choices.

 

Is having children a "lifestyle choice" or is it just life itself?

Isn't paternity leave legislated for, so companies have to give paternity leave, even if it is unpaid?

[willman 10]

I made the choice to have children it wasn't forced on me so why should i force my choices on others who may have no interest in my life at all.

Paternity leave is now legislated for - and people have the opportunity to take it, but i personally don't think it should be a constitutional right. Thats why i think its a gift, a paid additional 2 weeks holiday.

It takes 9 months to have a child on average, by saving a few quid a month you can be prepared for the drop in salary for 2 weeks.

[john west 10]

I recieved no paternity pay - it wasn't done then. I took annual leave, i rescheduled my working days and days off to allow for hospital visits following C section etc.

 

Paternity leave isn't a right it's a gift. Accept it as that or don't bother. Employers shouldn't have to compensate for peoples lifestyle choices.

 

Having been to a few antenatal classes and reading other supporting doccument stressing that fathers have to bond with there child at birth just as much as the mother in the intial 2 weeks of coming into the world, this is supported by the nhs and government. Back to facts when companys say they are family companys and child friendly all they want to give you is the minimum law states no matter how hard you work or the hours you put it!! Its a shambles!! They look after themselves fact and were just a number!!

[feargal 21]

Lots of employers (particularly small businesses) simply can't afford to pay someone an extra 2 weeks full pay to not do any work, particularly in times of recession.

 

If your employer is sticking rigidly to statutory paternity pay, why don't you ask if there is any way you can work extra hours before or after your paternity leave, then take the time off in lieu? (The firm where I work has done that before. The chap ended up taking 3 weeks off, and used just 1 week of his holidays).

 

Depending on when your baby is due, you might be able to come to a suitable arrangement if you give them enough notice. Also, instead of going in spouting about being "just a number", try and offer a solution instead of simply moaning about the problem!

Edited June 9, 2010 by feargal

[willman 10]

Having been to a few antenatal classes and reading other supporting doccument stressing that fathers have to bond with there child at birth just as much as the mother in the intial 2 weeks of coming into the world, this is supported by the nhs and government. Back to facts when companys say they are family companys and child friendly all they want to give you is the minimum law states no matter how hard you work or the hours you put it!! Its a shambles!! They look after themselves fact and were just a number!!

 

Been there and done it - however the bonding is up to YOU, not to anyone else.

It's YOUR responsibility.

 

It would be more appropriate for new fathers to go home from work and do something with the children, not sit for the first 2 weeks solid at a time IMHO when you can't interact much(but some will think differently) and then never go near them afterwards.

 

I'm closer to my daughter than my wife - who spent the first 11 years being at home with her.

If you think two weeks on £123 is a blow, try 11 years on 1 wage and the next 14 years trying to claw the debt back.

Edited June 9, 2010 by willman

[john west 10]

all i can say is COMPANY MEN!!!

[scottsmith 10]

I recieved no paternity pay - it wasn't done then. I took annual leave, i rescheduled my working days and days off to allow for hospital visits following C section etc.

 

Paternity leave isn't a right it's a gift. Accept it as that or don't bother. Employers shouldn't have to compensate for peoples lifestyle choices.

 

Actually Paternity leave is a right, if people want to take it.

[EmilyM 10]

Women have to have a minimum of 6weeks off following birth for basic medical reasons. Takes a long time for the body to recover from childbirth, and c sections. It would be sexual discrimination if this were not at full pay.

.

 

I was looking on the direct.gov website. Women on maternity leave get the first 6 weeks at 90% of their regualr pay, then the following 33 weeks at the lower of 90% of their pay or the standard £123 a week (roughly, can't remember the exact figure).

The above is the minimum the government says your employer must pay, they can pay more, but thats entirely up to them.

[Guest]

Thanks for correction emily. Yes you're right. It's at 90% pay.

[lauren84 11]

My husband got 2 weeks full pay and they even let him have the 5 days off I was in labour off additionally He went back for a week, broke his thumb then had another 7 weeks off full pay!!! Ooops! Then again he had been there for nearly 9 years and probably had 2 days off at the most before then

[GordonBennet 10]

Why do men need to take paternity leave at all? It's not as if they can breastfeed the baby or take time to get their bodies back to normal after giving birth.

 

I'm all for the mother taking maternity leave for the above reasons, but the father doesn't really have a major role to play, save for looking after the baby in the evening when the mother's too tired.

[rothschild 10]

In an ideal world paternity leave would be paid at a living rate but unfortunately we don't live in an ideal world.

In an ideal world a hard working man/woman who becomes ill and is temporarily unable to work wouldn't have to try and survive on statutory sick pay (which incidentally is only about half of SPP), but again, we don't live in an ideal world.

In an ideal world all women would be paid a wage to stop at home with their children and raise them in a secure family environment, but you got it......we don't live in an ideal world.

 

Paternity leave/ pay, such as it is, is something which wasn't heard of when we had our children. We had no choice but for hubby to save his holidays for when ours were born. If I remember correctly as well he only had two weeks paid leave per year, and it was paid at a basic rate so we allways struggled for those 2 weeks.

 

Things have altered a lot since those days and it is for the better. However, we managed and it might well be that others will have to manage if the current government see fit to axe paternity pay as part of the benefit cut backs!!