Retailers lead on paid paternity leave as the government's review of parental pay nears its end

The amount of paid time a new father gets off work increasingly depends on who he works for. Several of the UK's biggest retailers now offer six weeks of paternity leave on full pay, while the legal minimum remains two weeks paid at a flat rate well below most people's wages.

The gap was highlighted over the weekend by campaigners who want the government to use Wednesday's Budget to improve the statutory offer. The Dad Shift, a campaign group, and Inspiring Dads compiled a list of employers that have increased their paternity leave in recent years, a list led by supermarkets and high street chains.

What the law requires

Employed fathers and partners are entitled to up to two weeks of paternity leave. Statutory paternity pay for those weeks is £194.32 a week, or 90% of average weekly earnings if that is lower. For someone working full time, that is less than half of what they would earn at the National Living Wage. Leave is a right from the first day in a job, but to qualify for the pay an employee needs 26 weeks of continuous service. Self-employed fathers have no entitlement to paid paternity leave.

What some employers pay

Marks & Spencer moved to six weeks of paternity leave at full basic pay in April 2024, alongside 26 weeks of fully paid maternity and adoption leave. According to the campaigners, other retailers including Tesco, Asda, Waitrose and Lidl have also improved their policies in recent years.

The picture is different in sectors where the workforce is mostly male. The Dad Shift said its analysis showed construction employs about one in 10 working men in the UK but accounts for only about one in 15 people receiving statutory paternity pay, partly because many construction and farm workers are self-employed.

What campaigners want

The groups are calling for six weeks of paternity leave paid at 90% of earnings, capped at £1,200 a week, and for the entitlement to be extended to self-employed fathers. More than 100 MPs have urged the Prime Minister to commit to improvements in the Budget.

What happens next

The government launched an 18-month review of the parental leave and pay system in July 2025, and it is expected to report later this year. Its terms of reference say it will look at what is and is not working for families and employers, compare international systems and consider options with low or no cost to business and the public finances, within what it describes as a fiscally constrained economic context.

The Budget documents on Wednesday will show whether any change to statutory pay is planned before the review concludes.