Should you offer paternity leave to your employees?

Becoming a new dad can be a wonderful, rewarding experience.

But a surprising number of men in the UK don't actually take the paternity leave they're legally entitled to!

Loads of new dads think taking time off might impact their career chances, or that there's some sort of unspoken rule against it. This just isn’t the case. Or, at the very least, shouldn’t be the case.

When new dads skip their rightful time off, it's not just a missed moment for them personally. It can actually cost your business a bit, too, and you might not even realise it. It hints at a workplace where a proper work-life balance doesn’t exist. This can lead to tired teams, low spirits, and a team who aren't as productive as they could be.

What parental leave are employees entitled to?

In the UK, new fathers are entitled to up to two consecutive weeks of paid paternity leave (if they’ve been with their employer for 26 weeks or more). This stays the same whether you’re having one child, or three, or more. There’s also an allowance to join their partner for two antenatal appointments (adoption leave is also available for those adopting).

Of course, these are nationally mandated minimums. However, employers can choose to give more time off at their discretion (which we think is a good idea!).

Shared parental leave

While those two weeks of statutory paternity leave are really useful, the introduction of shared parental leave (SPL) in the UK really threw the doors wide open for modern families.

SPL lets eligible parents share up to 50 weeks of leave (and up to 37 weeks of pay) during the baby’s first year. So, if the mum goes back to work before her maternity leave is all used up, the dad (or partner) can take that unused time instead.

This is a great idea, for a number of reasons:

It gives families proper choice: Shared parental leave lets families decide exactly how they want to juggle those early parenting responsibilities. It’s a nod to the fact that not every family’s the same, and it lets them make decisions that work best for their finances, careers, and life.
It helps you plan better: For businesses, getting to grips with SPL means you can actually plan for longer absences a bit easier. Instead of one long stretch out of the office, you might have two parents taking shorter, staggered bits of leave. That’s often way easier to manage than a sudden, long absence.
Dads get more involved: SPL actively encourages dads to roll up their sleeves and get stuck into early childcare. This helps build stronger bonds with their little ones and pushes towards a fairer share of the parenting load at home.
Keeps talent sticking around: When both parents have flexible options, mums might feel less pressure to leave work completely, and dads are more likely to stick with companies that actually get how important family life is.

Consider how it's done in Denmark - their shared parental leave laws mean fathers can take up to 34 total weeks of parental leave. As we’ve said before, the Scandinavians seem to have it sorted out.

Why should you encourage employees to take paternity leave?

It’s not just about being a nice guy, though that’s part of it! Encouraging paternity leave is a good move that can bring in some hefty rewards for your business.

It makes your team happier and healthier

When new dads get proper time off to be with their families, that good feeling spills right back into the workplace with:

Less stress and less burnout: Becoming a new parent is brilliant, but absolutely exhausting. Taking paternity leave lets dads really dive into this new chapter without the extra stress of work. This dedicated time helps keep stress levels down and stops employee burnout creeping in. They come back feeling much more ready for action.
Better mental health: There’s still a bit of a stigma around dads taking leave, but you, as an employer, can squash that. When you encourage and normalise paternity leave, you're really looking after the mental health of new fathers.
Bigger smiles all round: Employees who feel genuinely supported by their boss, especially during big life events like having a baby, are much happier in their jobs. That means better morale and a generally brighter, more positive vibe at work.

It helps you keep your best people

A clear, positive stance on paternity leave can be a real game-changer. As an employer, you want to try and offer as many benefits as you can to get those top performers in. Paternity leave:

Pulls in the top talent: Companies that get behind paternity leave are seen as modern, family-friendly places to work. That reputation is a massive draw for cracking candidates who want a job that fits with their life, not just pays the bills.
Keeps that top talent around: Replacing good staff costs a fair bit – think recruitment fees, getting new employees up to speed, and lost productivity. When new dads feel you’ve got their backs in balancing work and family, they’re way more likely to stick around.

It builds a positive company culture

Supporting paternity leave sends a loud and clear message about what your company stands for.

Challenging the social norms: Encouraging dads to take leave directly challenges those old-fashioned ideas that childcare is just for mums. It shows you’re moving with the times and believe in a fairer split of responsibilities at home.
Sets a great example: When co-parenting is championed right from the start, it sets a healthy tone for how things are shared throughout the child's life. This just feels right and clicks with a diverse, modern workforce.
A happier workplace: A culture that cheers on family support and flexibility is just generally a nicer, more inclusive place to be. Everyone feels more respected and valued.

Offering paternity leave can improve productivity

It might sound odd to gain productivity by having an employee off, but trust us, it works.

Stops long-term burnout: Taking proper breaks, like paternity leave, stops stress and tiredness from building up. A rested employee is far less likely to crash and burn later on, which means fewer long-term absences and more consistent, good work from them.
Fresh minds, better ideas: Employees who’ve had enough time to bond with their families and properly switch off mentally come back to work with new energy, sharper focus, and, often, brilliant new ideas.

Why employees might not be taking their paternity leave

Okay, so the benefits are massive, but here’s a startling fact: 40% of men don’t take paternity leave!

For you, as an employer, understanding why this happens is half the battle in actually getting more dads to use their paternity leave. The two biggest things stopping new fathers are often a bit of old-fashioned office stigma and the very real pressure of having too much on their plate.

Let us start by looking at the stigma. Loads of men worry that taking paternity leave will make them look less keen on their careers, or that it’ll mess up their chances of a promotion. As the boss, you can really make a difference here by:

Leading by example: If managers actually take their own paternity leave, it sends a powerful message that it’s okay and something to be proud of.
Making it normal to talk about: Bring up paternity leave openly and positively in team chats, company newsletters, and when new team members join. Make it part of the everyday conversation, not something people whisper about.

Now let's look at the workload situation. For many, the biggest problem isn't what people say, but the sheer amount of work and the fear of leaving their colleagues in a pickle. You need to get stuck in here by:

Planning ahead: As soon as you know someone's going on paternity leave, get together with them and their team to make a clear plan for who's covering what. This takes a load off everyone's mind.
Cross-training: Make sure those vital jobs aren't only known by one person. Get your team working together and understanding what each person does to help cover any gaps if someone isn’t in.
Being realistic: Don't expect your team to churn out the same amount of work when someone's off. Be honest with clients and adjust deadlines if needed.

Using software to manage paternity leave with ease!

So, how do you actually manage paternity leave without having to do another full-time job's worth of work? That's where a bit of clever software steps in to save the day.

Trying to track paternity leave entitlements, holidays, or sick days using spreadsheets and email chains is a recipe for disaster. It eats up precious admin hours that could be used for much more important stuff. This is exactly why getting yourself some decent annual leave management software is a no brainer!

Here’s how a proper annual leave management system, like Timetastic, can make managing paternity leave (and every other type of time off!) a piece of cake for your business:

See everything at a glance: Imagine having a clear, instant picture of who’s off, why, and when they’ll be back. A good system gives you that birds-eye view, which is absolutely vital for planning cover for paternity leave or any other absence.
Easy booking and approval: Your team can easily pop in their paternity leave requests (or any holiday) through the system, and managers get a quick ping. Approving or denying becomes a fast, consistent process, cutting down on back-and-forth emails, helping get answers out quickly.
Automatic leave counting: No more head-scratching about entitlements! The software automatically tracks leave, making sure everything’s spot on and compliant. This massively cuts down on mistakes in pay or leave calculations.

Ready to make managing paternity leave a smooth and seamless process? Explore Timetastic's annual leave management software today and see how easy it is to manage all your employee absences! While you’re at it, why not give it a go for FREE for 30 days, no card needed to sign up.