'Watershed moment' | Why HR can't afford to wait for parental leave reforms

The UK’s parental leave system is, by almost every measure, falling behind. Two weeks of statutory paternity leave and a shared parental leave scheme used by fewer than 4% of eligible couples do little to support modern families. The Women and Equalities Committee is right to call this a “watershed moment”. But with the Government’s review set to run for 18 months, change won’t come quickly.

For HR leaders, the question is whether to sit back and wait for Westminster to fix a “broken” system, or to get ahead of the curve. The smart choice is the latter.