Key topics
Parental leave
FAQs
How much parental leave can a father take?
Fathers in the UK may be eligible for one or two weeks of paid paternity leave, paternity pay and shared parental leave and pay. See the government web site for full details. Employment issues like this are not devolved to the Scottish Government. This level of support for fathers is far poorer than many other countries. Shared Parenting Scotland considers that improved paternal leave would lead to increased involvement in childcare by fathers. Consequently this should make shared parenting more likely. The Fatherhood Institute’s research study on paternity leave reports on research evidence supporting this view.