Father wins discrimination case after employer refuses full paternity leave

A working father has won a discrimination case he brought against his employer, for failing to give him full paternity leave rights.

The Telegraph reports that call centre worker Madasar Ali was told by Capita that he would only get two weeks of full pay, whilst women were allowed to take up to 14 weeks. Ali told his employer that he wished to take paternity leave to care for his daughter whilst his wife was ill with post-natal depression.

The tribunal found that the decision was against the Equality Act, as well as parental leave rules which allow parents to share up to 50 weeks of leave and 237 weeks of pay. Capita’s lawyer reportedly tried to argue that Ali wasn’t eligible as he couldn’t give birth.

"It was accepted that he was denied that benefit and was deterred from taking the leave and was less favourably treated as a man,” explained Employment Judge Rita Rogerson.