Fathers appeal to equality watchdog on paternity leave

A SIGNIFICANT number of new fathers who called the Equality Authority last year were bitterly disappointed to learn they were not entitled to paid paternity leave.

There is no legal entitlement to paternity leave in Ireland, which is at the employer’s discretion.

Ireland has maternity, parental and adoptive leave but, as yet, has no statutory paid paternity leave at the time of a child’s birth.

In Britain, fathers receive two weeks of paid paternity leave, at €145 a week, and the Equality Authority’s British counterpart, the Equal Opportunities Commission, is looking for additional entitlements.

Equality Authority chief executive Niall Crowley said Ireland was out of step with the rest of Europe because workers were not entitled to paid paternity and parental leave. While some employers were offering paid paternity leave as a goodwill gesture, it was not a statutory entitlement.

In the social partnership agreement, Towards 2016, the Government agreed to review the provision of paternity leave before the end of this year.

The Programme for Government published last year promised to examine the possibility of introducing paternity benefit over the next five years.

The National Women’s Council of Ireland said allowing paid paternity leave was crucial in addressing the imbalance relating to parenting and care.

The council’s head of policy, Orla O’Connor, said it would like to see new fathers initially getting a week’s paid paternity leave, which should eventually be increased to four weeks.

The British government-funded Fatherhood Institute has claimed fathers are missing out on spending the equivalent of a month a year with their children because of the country’s long working hours culture.

Mr Crowley said Ireland also had a long working hours culture and most men found it difficult to ask their employers for a more flexible working arrangement out of fear it would be seen as a sign of disloyalty.

In Britain, eight out of 10 fathers regularly work overtime, or unsocial hours, and as a result lose more than 15 hours per week with their children — equivalent to about 32 days each year.

The Fatherhood Institute wants the British government to pay for the parental leave rather than extend paid maternity leave to a year and allow fathers to take the leave more flexibly.

At present, the 13 weeks’ parental leave entitlement per child in Britain has to be taken in blocks of at least a week long.

In Britain women have 39 weeks’ paid maternity leave and it is planned to increase this to 52 weeks by 2010.

While the first 26 weeks of a mother’s leave in Britain are hers alone, recent changes allow her to transfer the remainder of the paid leave to her partner.

Paid maternity leave in Ireland increases from 22 to 26 weeks from March of this year.

Parental leave totalling 14 weeks per child may be taken in one continuous period or in separate blocks of a minimum of six weeks.

An employer can agree, however, to separate the leave entitlements into periods of days or even hours.

A huge gender imbalance in the uptake of parental leave in Ireland has emerged — about 80% of parental leave is taken by women.

“The nature and structure of our statutory leave entitlements contribute to significant inequality in the sharing of care,” said Mr Crowley.

Ireland, like Britain, also has a workplace culture where it is assumed men do not have to take on parenting responsibilities.

“The situation makes it more difficult for men to seek parental leave and flexible working arrangements,” he said.

“Men and women can apply for flexible working in Ireland but we find it is predominantly women who avail of the arrangement.”

Mr Crowley said Ireland needs a culture where it is seen as normal for men and women to seek flexible leave entitlements for caring.

It was put to Mr Crowley there were still some people who believe if men are given more time off to care for their children they will end up spending more time in the pub.

“Well, that is part of the culture where it is not seen as men’s role to be carers. We have got to change that.

“I think Irish society is failing fathers and mothers. It is failing to promote a better sharing of caring between men and women.”

www.equality.ie

www.nwci.ie

www.fatherhoodinstitute.org