Culture | O2's HR head on the success of paternity leave scheme

The idea of paternity leave and offering new fathers the same benefits as mothers was perhaps considered an alien concept, as employers placed a heavier focus on supporting new mothers within a business with paid maternity leave and flexible work arrangements.

This is supported by statistics shared by the TUC in 2019, which found that almost a quarter of new fathers did not qualify for statutory paid paternity leave in 2018. This was either due to the fact they were self-employed, had not been in their jobs long enough, or were insecure in work.