Parental leave system ‘treats fathers like workhorses and mothers like unpaid interns’, campaigners say

Parents across the UK will protesting on Thursday to call for improved assistance for mothers and fathers managing employment alongside family life.

Organised by campaign groups Flex Appeal and the Dad Shift, demonstrations are taking place nationwide, including at Downing Street, Holyrood and the Welsh Senedd.

The organisations want businesses to make flexible working default practice and are calling for six weeks of paternity leave , paid at 90% of salary, as a government review into parental leave reaches its conclusion.

Dr Jeremy Davies of the Fatherhood Institute said: “People say: ‘Don’t have a baby if you can’t afford it.’ Well, our new figures confirm that for lower-income couples in the UK, having a baby in 2026 means plunging yourselves into serious debt.

“It’s mums who bear the brunt, thanks to our hugely gendered parental leave system that treats fathers like workhorses and mothers like unpaid interns.”

The Fatherhood Institute said its research found that new parents in the UK faced “significant financial impacts” in their baby’s first year, driven by reduced income and increased expenses.

Average earning couples see their joint income fall by about 34%, it was suggested.

In January, former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer hailed changes to parental leave , saying they put "dignity back at the heart of work ".

These reforms, a central part of Labour’s flagship workers’ rights package under Sir Keir’s government, introduced unpaid parental leave from an employee’s first day in a new job.

The government said this would offer an additional 1.5 million parents increased flexibility to share childcare responsibilities.

In a statement released at the time, Sir Keir said: “The changes we’re bringing in will mean every new parent can properly take time off when they have a child, and no one is forced to work while ill just to make ends meet.

“This is about giving working families the support they need to balance work, health and the cost of living.

“Stronger sick pay, parental leave from day one, and protections that put dignity back at the heart of work.

“Because when we respect and reward those who keep Britain running, we build a stronger economy for everyone.”