The survey of 800 respondents by the CIPD and KPMG reveals only 40% of organisations offer working fathers two weeks' pay at near, or full pay, while only 24% offer no paid paternity leave beyond the two-week statutory level.
Mike Emmott, employee relations adviser, CIPD, says "If flexible parental leave is to become a reality, we need a step-change in the reward policies of UK organisations. This will only be achieved through cultural change - and legislation is emphatically not the answer. The new Government will have to think imaginatively if it is to nudge and lead this change."
Sarah Bond, head of diversity and employee engagement at KPMG, said: "Research indicates the demands on those caring for children will rise in the next 10 years. The new Government's plans to encourage a system of flexible parental leave will be welcomed by employees but businesses are going to have to look very carefully at the family support packages they offer to see whether they mirror these changing trends."
Employers said the Disability Discrimination Act and age discrimination regulations had made the greatest impact on their organisations.
