There are two main issues that organisations will have to get to grips with on paternity leave to make it work. First, while maternity leave is a well-established idea in the workplace, paternity leave is new. The process of 'normalising' it will be difficult. It will help if senior people are seen to be taking it - that may convince others that it can work. Some firms of course may not be too concerned if there is little take-up. There must also be a question of whether all male employees will be able to afford to stop working during this time, given the relatively modest paternity benefit on offer.
Second, while maternity leave is a long break and relatively predictable, paternity leave is as short as a holiday, but not as predictable. You might find it fairly easy to replace someone on maternity leave, but with paternity leave the employee may have to go at very short notice, perhaps in the middle of a project. And you wouldn't necessarily be able to replace them for such a short period.
This can present management with a big problem. It means they have to be preparing for a handover almost every day, whereas people usually don't just disappear on holiday for two weeks without much warning.
Caroline Waters, director of employment policy, BT
We've had paternity leave here for a number of years. It is already part of the fabric. We have upgraded our existing policy to take account of the new regulations, and we have gone beyond the minimum requirement.
It is important to recognise that a lot of working fathers do not have a partner at home doing all the childcare. That means flexibility has to be at the heart of your culture. It should be clear that either parent can gain promotion while working flexible hours. In low-paid sectors long hours are a problem, and perhaps the minimum wage will have an impact here.
For us flexibility isn't altruism - it's about running a more successful business. We can select from a much wider talent pool if we can accommodate more people. But this doesn't happen overnight. You have to have clear policies in place, communicate them, and have real examples of people taking up flexible options like paternity leave. If the business is committed to it, you can get the culture right.
Ian Greenaway, managing director, MTM Products
Flexibility is really all about whether you have a positive attitude towards staff or want to put obstacles in their way. We offer one week's paternity leave on full pay, followed by a second week [equivalent] of statutory maternity pay (SMP). Our thinking here is that you really need that first week at home - at least - when you have a new baby.
I'm not sure how high the take-up for paternity leave will be around the country if SMP is all that is being offered. People will continue to do what they used to do and take their annual leave to cover their immediate needs.
We're a small business with 35 staff with a 50:50 male-to-female ratio. Flexibility is a two-way thing. One man here has been taking bits of time off to be with his wife during a fairly difficult pregnancy, but I know he's coming in at the weekend because that's the only time he can. I think our people are all for flexibility and this isn't a problem for us.
