Parental leave: tackling stigma and supporting staff in family planning

Even though two thirds of UK workers are parents, parental leave policies are often not visible or transparent within job ads, which has implications for businesses looking to attract talent, as well as parents or those planning for a family in the future.

Our latest research looks at the bias that is still present when it comes to conversations about parental leave, how this offering is often overtaken by work perks within job ads, and how businesses can ensure they’re providing the information people need surrounding parental leave.

Overcoming stigma

Totaljobs research has found that there remains a stigma around asking what paternal leave policies are in place when applying or interviewing for a role.

Men and women are interested in becoming parents at the same rate (76% of women and 74% of men). Yet, 60% think raising this topic in an interview will mean they’re less likely to get a job offer.

Over half (55%) of men and 63% of women have this concern. Others expect they might be offered a less senior role (17% of women and 10% of men), or a lower salary offer (15% of women and 12% of men).

This harps back to an assumption that parents are unable to commit to a job as much as someone without children. Particularly if a business has a culture of presenteeism, where staff work overtime in a bid to be visible and look productive, parents who have to leave at a specific time due to family commitments like the school run, might be considered less productive as a result. This perception is often to the detriment of women especially, who in many cases are assumed to be the primary caregiver. In turn, this has implications for the gender pay gap and representation of women at senior levels.

Even though it is illegal to discriminate against people on the basis of pregnancy or family responsibilities, the perception that being open about family planning is detrimental to your career is something employers need to be mindful of in the recruitment, interview and selection process.

By being clear and honest about the options available to new or expectant parents, businesses can support staff and keep their talent pool open.

Lack of awareness

Candidates consider more than just a salary when applying for a job. One factor that can help businesses stand out from their competitors is by offering additional perks or workplace benefits. That might be free gym membership, snacks in the office, an early finish on Fridays, or regular team socials as a reward for a job well done.

We looked at 800,000 job ads on Totaljobs and found that less than 1% made reference to any kind of parental leave offering. Perks like pet-friendly offices, Christmas parties and workplace freebies are much more likely to be included in a job ad. Our research shows that 22% of jobseekers search for parental leave policies while considering a new job. However, jobseekers are seven times more likely to see mentions of office perks, rather than details about parental leave, within job ads.

A knock-on effect of this is that only 5% of workers don’t know anything about the benefits or perks offered by their employer. In comparison, 44% don’t know about their employer’s parental leave offering.

Following this, over a third of people would be generally concerned about how an employer treats their staff, if the business’ parental leave policy doesn’t appear to be transparent and easy to access.

Ultimately, this means that people could be put off applying for a role if an employer doesn’t have a dedicated area of their company website, or their job description, that references parental leave and the options available to staff.

Language use has implications

When parental leave or cover is included in a job ad, it’s more likely to be gendered than neutral. ‘Maternity cover’ was called for in 2,758 job ads, while just 16 mention ‘paternity cover’.

Currently, 59% more job ads mention maternity leave compared to paternity leave. The offering of parental leave is a right for people of all genders, and by referring to this in a gender-neutral way (‘parental leave’ or ‘family leave’), the language becomes more inclusive for all families.

In turn, this can begin to challenge the assumption that it’s only mums who are looking into this offering, and can reduce the stigma that is experienced by many dads who are vocal about taking longer periods of either paternity, or Shared Parental, leave.

With this, less than 1 in 10 job ads mention an adoption leave offering, which means parents in this situation are left in the dark about how they will be supported by an employer. By being more inclusive in the way parental leave is talked about – including adoption and surrogacy – employers can be clearer about the range of support available for all families.

Actions for employers

Ensure parental leave policies are clear and visible

Family leave is on the agenda for many people, with half of parents or those interested in having children in the future considering a company’s parental leave policy before accepting a job. 8 in 10 people would see an employer in a more negative light if they weren’t open about their parental leave policies. In turn, over a third (36%) would be worried about how staff were treated by an employer, if they struggled to find information on these policies. This means employers can look to have a clear, public reference point for all parental leave offering, and build this stance into your wider company values and employer brand.

Consider the language in your job ads

Opting for neutral phrases like “family leave” or “parental leave” in job ads, rather than “maternity” or “paternity”, challenges assumptions about primary caregivers and ultimately makes a role more appealing for a wider range of people. It’s not just the way parental leave is talked about that can hold unintentional gender bias; you can test all the language in your job ad in our Gender Bias Decoder to remove unconscious bias that might be putting off certain jobseekers.

Build a parental leave policy that works for staff

Following experiences juggling childcare and work during lockdown, 30% of workers want their employer to update parental leave policies. Speak to parents or expectant parents in your business to understand what matters to them. By putting parents at the centre of your offering, businesses can ensure there’s flexibility built into the leave structure.

Support parents beyond parental leave policies

Offering flexible start times or remote working can support parents in balancing work and family life, particularly for people caring for young children. Championing parents extends beyond the parental leave offering, and into how you make roles work for staff. This will ultimately mean a happier, more productive workforce in the long term.