In December 2024, an employment tribunal ruled in favour of Mr Reeves, a high-performing employee at Goldman Sachs who was made redundant after taking six months of (contractual) parental leave. Despite years of top-quartile performance and being earmarked for a managing director role, his commitment was questioned after he chose to prioritise family responsibilities. A series of adverse actions followed, culminating in his redundancy.
The Tribunal found that Goldman Sachs had treated Mr Reeves less favourably than a hypothetical female comparator who had taken similar parental leave. Was this a one-off case of discrimination or symptomatic of a greater problem men face when taking extended periods of leave for childcare reasons?
Read more: Under 2% of working dads take shared parental leave, research finds
The introduction of generous parental leave policies by some employers is a significant step forward, but cases like Mr Reeves’ illustrate a persistent cultural resistance to men fully utilising these entitlements. There remains an unspoken expectation that men should take minimal leave—if any at all—and those who do otherwise are seen as lacking ambition or commitment.
Alex Lloyd Hunter, co-founder of The Dadshift, summarised the issue succinctly: “Having good paternity leave on paper means nothing if fathers face discrimination for using it.”
The introduction of statutory shared parental leave in 2015 was intended to create a more equitable system, allowing parents to divide childcare responsibilities more flexibly. However, its uptake remains staggeringly low — according to statistics published in June 2023, it was used in less than 2% of births.
The shared parental leave scheme is complex and often misunderstood by employees and employers alike. It also involves a mother having to give up part of her leave and pay, which can be a difficult decision to make. For some parents, it is a financial decision because often employers will not enhance the shared parental leave entitlements (whereas they will for maternity leave).
In respect of any periods of statutory parental leave (including paternity, adoption, shared parental or parental leave), men will be protected against dismissal and from suffering a detriment for reasons related to taking of (or seeking to take) the leave. Mr Reeves could not avail himself of this protection because his leave was contractual.
Proposed reform
The new Labour government has promised to review parental leave entitlements, but the proposed reforms so far— namely, making unpaid parental leave and statutory paternity leave day-one rights—do not go far enough to address the fundamental issue. Statutory paternity leave remains capped at two weeks, and there is still no requirement for employers to enhance shared parental leave in line with maternity policies.
Read more: Fathers can't afford paternity leave, finds TUC
In December 2024, the Women and Equalities Committee launched a call for written evidence on statutory paternity and shared parental leave to examine options for reform. The Government has acknowledged that the current parental leave system does not support working parents and has committed to conducting a “full review” as the first stage of longer-term reform. It will be interesting to see the Committee’s findings, and the Government’s response.
Legislative changes which provide for generous paid paternity leave for men will be key in bringing about a societal shift in how the take up of parental leave by men is perceived.
But employers also need to actively dismantle bias against men who take paternity leave. This means fostering an environment where men feel supported in using their entitlements without fear of repercussions. Without this shift in attitudes, parental leave policies will remain little more than performative gestures.
Aleksandra Davidson is an associate in the employment team at law firm Winckworth Sherwood
