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.
