Becoming an employer of choice: Moving to equalised parental leave

Shared parental leave and pay was designed to break down barriers to fathers and partners of mothers of babies taking time off around the time of the birth of a baby (or placement for adoption) and to provide flexibility to parents over how they share childcare. However, with statutory shared parental pay at the same level as statutory maternity pay (£187.18 a week from 6 April 2025), and the complexity of the arrangements, there has not been huge take-up.

Instead, some organisations are looking to introduce equal parental leave - an organisational policy that offers all parents the same entitlement to paid time off following the birth or adoption of a child; the amount of paid time off given for maternity, paternity and adoption leave is equal.

A growing number of organisations are publicising their gender-neutral leave and pay arrangements for employees who are new parents. We look at what introducing an equalised new parent leave policy looks like in practice.

An equalised parental leave policy is designed to replace any existing maternity, adoption, paternity and shared parental leave policy. The policy would be inclusive of any entitlements to statutory maternity, adoption and paternity leave and pay. Employers will need to consider the interactions between the new policy and statutory leave and pay entitlements, notification requirements and length of leave. Of particular note is the April 2026 change as part of the Employment Rights Act 2025, with paternity leave and parental leave becoming a day-one right.

How does it work?

Securing internal support

Shifting from a traditional approach of separate maternity, paternity, adoptive and parental leave policies is likely to be a big step for organisations to take. Securing the support of senior management will be key – the business case can best be supported by data on outcomes such as gender pay gaps, career progression, women in senior roles, and employee retention.

Motivations for those introducing equal parental leave centre around:

an organisation's commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion;
to help narrow the gender pay gap;
to support fathers/partners to be more involved in caregiving; and
retention of employees.

Inevitably an equal parental leave policy, with enhanced pay for all, will likely be more costly than existing maternity, paternity and parental leave and pay policies at an organisation. Modelling likely take-up based on workforce demographics will give an indication of likely use, and therefore cost.

However, the benefits of the policy should be set against the cost – if it acts as a powerful retention tool and a way to attract new talent, this will save costs elsewhere in the business.

Costing the approach

ON DEMAND WEBINAR: Employment Rights Act 2025 - a user's guide

Royal Assent has finally been given and the Employment Rights Act 2025 has passed into law. But the devil is in the detail, and there is an awful lot of that in the legislation that HR professionals will now need to get to grips with.

In this webinar, employment law specialist Darren Newman sets out a road map to guide you safely through the implementation of the Act’s many different strands – including what to look out for, and what not to forget.

Stay compliant, strategic and ahead and watch now

An important part of the success of such a policy will be ensuring that male colleagues take the leave. Steps to encouraging take-up include:

Senior leaders talking about the policy.
Reaching out to men who are expecting a child.
Asking men who have taken leave to write and talk about it.
Applying reduced workload/targets on return from leave.

Encouraging use

Take part in the Brightmine absence rates, management and sick pay survey 2026

The annual Brightmine survey on absence rates, management and sick pay is now open.

We welcome responses from all organisations. As a thank you, you’ll receive the absence rates, management and sick pay report on publication, plus our leading practice guide Effective attendance management on completion.

The survey closes on 6 March 2026. TAKE PART HERE

Brightmine has an example policy model: snapshot below

This guide provides a snapshot of the latest policy changes. Our full policy models go further, offering clear, compliant templates backed by expert insight. Request a quote to see how we can support you.

Next steps

There is still a long way to go for equal parental leave to become standard practice – but while recent Brightmine research found that few organisations have such a policy or are planning to introduce one, more than a quarter of the organisations surveyed are exploring the feasibility of introducing equal parental leave. Achieving a genuine shift away from traditional gendered parenting roles is the ultimate aim, and an equalised leave policy is a key first step on the journey.