Should new fathers paternity leave and pay be doubled?

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Labour has announced that if it wins the election it will double the amount of paternity leave that new fathers currently have from 2 to 4 weeks.

Ed Miliband has also said that he will increase the statutory paternity to £260 per week. Fathers are currently eligible for two weeks’ paternity leave paid at the statutory rate of £138.18 a week.

Currently only 55% of fathers take off the 2 weeks mainly due to financial pressures but this new rate would be equivalent to a forty hour week if a person was on the minimum wage.

Ed Miliband has said in a speech “At the same time as women are under pressure in their careers, more fathers want to play a hands-on role in childcare, particularly in those first crucial weeks of a child’s life”

A senior policy adviser at the National Childbirth Trust said “As well as the difference it will make for mums, the more that dads are able to engage with their baby in the early days the better their bond will be, so we want to see all political parties committing to policies like this that will give fathers more time with their new families.”

The estimated cost of this new policy is £150 million per annum.

Some small businesses have already said that this could affect them with new fathers taking off extra time from work.

What is your view? How much time off did your husband have when you had a baby? Do you think new fathers should have paternity leave and pay nearly doubled?

Should new fathers have paternity leave and pay doubled?

682 people have already voted, what's your opinion? Yes No

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djbowden59
6th Nov 2015
0
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A child should be planned for, so that finance can be arranged to support childs life and education.
JohnHerb
16th Aug 2015
0
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no. I think the world has gone mad. We never used to have this. What about all the companies who cannot afford it??
snappy11
6th Apr 2015
0
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I certainly disagree about more time off for maternity leave . I am one of the older workers that have to work 6 years longer before I can retire . I have been working since leaving school at 15 years age . I was looking forward to spend more time with my family's ,but no carry on working say the government and let the young ones stay on at school while I work . Totally fed up worker .
DJSwaithe
27th Mar 2015
1
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It was their choice as it was mine and my wifes and we didn't get maternity/paternity leave.
nagonthenet
2nd Mar 2015
1
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Can employers really afford this? It's someone's decision to have a child - they need to be able to afford the child first, getting more freebies does not engender responsibility.
andbrown01
28th Feb 2015
1
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yes if mother or infant have problems at that time
BillyH
23rd Feb 2015
3
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Why, I raised two Daughters with one wage coming into the house, they had their Mother all day looking after them, and I made sure I took my responsibility in the evenings and weekends. Call me old fashioned, but we were very content to arrange our lives that way, and I did not feel as though I was missing out on their childhood, not did the children get any less attention with me working. I cannot understand this idiotic need for long Maternity/Paternity paid leave, must cost businesses greatly.
Munsterlander
23rd Feb 2015
4
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As a small business owner its hard enough already. I say NO
tel-boy
21st Feb 2015
3
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For goodness sake let's get back to reality. Its enough that the mother of a new born is off work, Maternity leave is for those who actually give birth to a baby, not someone who put it there.
This is another Conservative gimmick for the upcoming elections. This country is going to the dogs,. Mothers should stay at home with the kids and the father should go to work like a good little boy and earn some money so his wife doesn't have to worry herself about money. I can think of a million ways to spend the the money the father would receive as he watches the mother feed the baby.
I have 4 children, all born at home. I never stayed off work for even one day. There was plenty of time for me to help my wife with the chores, do the shopping, bath the children and play with them.
Am I so different from modern day husbands????
Kiddo
18th Feb 2015
2
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This idea is completely unfair to those who do not have children and have to do the extra work without getting paid for it
Globetrotter
17th Feb 2015
4
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A stupid vote catcher. Paternity leave should be abolished altogether. It's another unnecessary burden for small businesses to carry. Maternity leave is bad enough, many small businesses can't afford to employ women of child bearing age and paternity leave may well force them out of business. Big business is not affected as much but guess who the costs are passed on to!!!
misty22
16th Feb 2015
3
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well, ive never had children so maybe my comments aren't viable, but I am a pensioner and have worked all my life since the age of 15yrs, and as a taxpayer for all those years I have very little pension to show for it, I saved for a private pension for my older years, but half of that got dissolved during one of the recessions, so its a struggle, if people want children, they should be prepared to pay for them themselves and not expect everyone else to pay for their time out, their time off work puts pressure on their colleagues to take on extra duties, so I think the money should be put into the NHS to help everyone, what extra benefits do childless people get, none as far as I can see.so a very big no from me to spending more money on maternity or paternity leave.
Wendy V.
16th Feb 2015
2
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Yes, Dads should share the very early and tiring days, but no one should be paid....unpaid leave to both for up to six months.
If they can't afford it, they should wait until they've saved up.
With an overcrowded country, we should not be encouraging more new babies.
jualsagi
16th Feb 2015
-2
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More maternity leave not paternity leave!
Boop140
16th Feb 2015
5
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We are becoming a nation of pussies ! For goodness sakes get a grip .. our parents grandparents and great grandparents etc etc coped .. AND dont forget the smaller businesses they wont be able to sustain the financial implications !!!!
Wilf
20th Feb 2015
3
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suzywin
16th Feb 2015
7
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I was born in the 1950's before paternity leave was heard of, it didn't stop me having a close bond with my Dad! Likewise, when my kids were born in the early 70's lack of paternity leave didn't stop them having a close bond with their Dad either! The money would be better spent on social care for the elderly!!
HJR58
15th Feb 2015
3
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I agree with other comments- two weeks plus leave.
countrylass
14th Feb 2015
6
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No I don't agree, it's their choice to have children, they need to get back to work to provide for them. And child benefit...maybe we should be stopping it or limiting it.
lizzy 326
12th Feb 2015
8
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No I don't agree with it. I think the current arrangement should stand and if fathers want more time off they could apply to use part of their annual leave. I don't think it is up to the tax payer to fund this - yet another give away at election time
LincolnLad59
11th Feb 2015
8
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Paternity leave has to be down to the employer's discretion. I think all mums should be encouraged to spend more time looking after their young ones - just like they used to and just as nature intended. Call me old fashioned but what's the point in Dads spending a couple of weeks 'holiday' with their new-born babies for both parents to then ship them off to some nursery once they reach two years of age? This and past governments have totally lost the plot in their drive to get mums to work. It doesn't make sense! Children need their mum more than anything else. What's the point in the government giving cash to pay for someone else to provide childcare? It's ludicrous! Give mums the money to help them to stay at home with the little ones.
linmitch
11th Feb 2015
8
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More and more rights are being given to employees, many of them are costly to the employer. Yes employees have to be looked after, but having a baby is not an illness so why should the father get paid leave, my husband took annual leave when our children were born.
chel
11th Feb 2015
-7
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Why shouldn't they get paid if they want to take the time off.
It's their child as well and some families are already on a low income why make things harder for them,in most cases children are a treasure and both parents want to spend the first week or two together.
Munsterlander
10th Feb 2015
6
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The trouble is, all theses things are great idea's but where does the money come from - tax.
So it becomes a vicious circle of tax and spend.
Now where have I heard that before?
Archiebald
11th Feb 2015
6
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Yes agree we all pay far to much tax anyway. All these "clever" ideas from the politicians to win them votes cost us hard earn't money
molly may
10th Feb 2015
-5
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Yes they should have maternity leave and the same benefits as mothers do
Peter
10th Feb 2015
8
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I think it's unfair on small businesses who will have to find cover and pay for the dads taking the extra time off.

Personally I couldn't wait to get back to work once my three came home 😉 Has anyone actually asked fathers whether they want this benefit or is it just another Milliband decision made without consulting the electorate?
Wilf
10th Feb 2015
5
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Probably Mr Miliband trying to get some more votes!!!
Wilf
10th Feb 2015
5
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Its a life thing. I think its reasonable that new dads should spend time with their new babes. What I am not so sure about is who is paying for all this-the tax payer ultimately. Got to say and not wishing to sound like some old dinosaur....in my day I just had a couple of days off work and then got on with it!

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