The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the professional body for HR and people development, have said business benefits of supporting working parents improves staff retention and attracts valued employees.
“Organisations can support working parents in a range of ways, CIPD senior policy advisor Claire McCartney said. “These include the provision of flexible working, enhanced parental leave, and pay and return to work support.”
But the issue of increased paternity provisions is can be an issue for small businesses and employers.
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has called for further government relief for small businesses and a focus on self-employed people.
“We all want to see improved parental benefits, but small employers need help to afford them,” National Chair at the FSB, Tina McKenzie, said.
“Often these debates focus too narrowly on traditional employees, and ignore the self-employed people within the UK’s workforce.
“Fathers and partners who work for themselves currently have no equivalent right to statutory paternity pay and leave, which can leave them having to return to work within days of a birth.
“In today’s modern world of work, children of self-employed parents should not be left behind.”