Government call for evidence on parental leave and pay
The government is conducting a review of the parental leave and pay system to better support working families, reflect the modern economy, and align with the government's Plan for Change.
Call for evidence:
The consultation is seeking views and evidence on:
- how well the current entitlements support the stated objectives
- whether these objectives are appropriate and if there are additional objectives to consider
- the strengths and weaknesses of the current system and potential areas for improvement.
Further questions for you to consider:
- Is there adequate leave, pay and support for parents including fathers/partners, those with disabilities and/or parents of children with disabilities?
- What are the barriers and enablers to taking parental leave? How are marginalised groups affected by the current system?
- Is there adequate availability and funding of childcare to support the governments objectives?
- How do attitudes towards shared parental leave impact the ability to take leave and support parents in the workplace?
- How could the current system be improved and what is needed for future reform?
- What else would you want to see and what would the benefits be to the NHS and other organisations?
Have your say
You can submit responses either on behalf of your organisation or as an individual by 11:59pm on 25 August 2025.
Objectives of the review
The review considers the existing and upcoming set of leave and pay entitlements which includes:
- maternity leave and pay
- paternity leave and pay
- adoption leave and pay
- shared parental leave and pay
- parental bereavement leave and pay
- parental leave (unpaid)
- neonatal care leave and pay
- maternity allowance
- a new employment right, currently under development – bereaved partner’s paternity leave (unpaid).
The government is seeking to improve the system to better support working families, the modern economy and sets out to consider the current system and the case for future reform against the following objectives:
- Support maternal health: Ensure sufficient time off work with appropriate pay to support the physical and mental health of women during pregnancy and post-partum.
- Economic growth: Enable more parents to stay in work and advance their careers, reducing the gender pay gap and the 'motherhood penalty'.
- Best start in life: Provide adequate resources and time for parents to support the healthy development of young children.
- Childcare flexibility: Allow parents to make balanced childcare choices that suit their family needs, including enabling co-parenting.
The review will also focus on three cross-cutting considerations:
- Fairness and equality: Ensure fairness across different types of parents and employment statuses.
- Cost: Balance financial impacts while simplifying processes for businesses and parents.
- Social: Support societal goals like reducing child poverty and shifting gender norms.
Further information
- Read the government's Plan for Change.
