As the Britain’s paternity compared to the rest of Europe

Become a new dad can significantly affect the number of parental vacations available to parents, and Report published this week It believes that Daddy in the UK is bad compared to what is offered elsewhere in Europe.

BBC NEWS talked to dads in different countries about how much time they can take off their children after birth – and how it changed their paternity for them.

When Jamie Kiar’s daughter was born three years ago, he says “incredibly difficult.”

“I had to watch my partner fighting for our child,” Jamie says. “The biggest thing I remember is crying. My daughter clearly needs support, and my wife fought and exhausted.”

A few weeks after the birth of Kiar mother -in -law Jamie flew from Zimbabwe to support the family because Jamie had the right only on a statutory parental vacation.

Rules in the UK Allow new parents and other parents in full -time work to do up to two weeks at work. This applies to all partners, regardless of gender, after birth, surrogate motherhood or the adoption of a child, but not those engaged in self -employment, or dads earn less than 123 pounds a week.

Those who have the right receive 187.18 pounds per week, or 90% of their average salary, depending on what is below. This turns out as less than half the national wage.

Jamie, from Ashford in Kent, says the statutory salary “was sincerely a penny”.

He and his partner are waiting for his second child, in August – what they started saving before Jami Nale’s wife even became pregnant.

Jamie says his “disappointment” for paying paternity made him attend the world’s first “strike” dad earlier this week, when parents from all over the country protested outside the government and trade department in Westminster.

“Seeing that things are changing relatively recently in other countries … Why don’t we keep up?” – says Jamie.

For Octavio, having spent four months at home with her daughter Alicia, she made a “big difference”.

He divided his parental vacation into two parts – six weeks – which was mandatory after the birth of Alicia, and the remaining 10 weeks when his wife returned to work.

“Extended quality time with Alicia allowed us to develop a solid connection, which I think would not be formed as deeply different,” says Actavio, a computer engineer from Seville.

Over the past few years, Spain has increased the amount of time given to the new parents. In 2019, the dads were entitled to five weeks at work. But since 2021 it has been extended to 16 weeks with a full salary, including for those involved in self -employment. The salary is paid for the salary. This means that parental vacation is now equal between moms and dads in Spain.

“These changes really changed a significant difference,” says Actavio.

In recent years, France has also taken progressive steps on parental vacation.

Antoine is an architect who lives on the outskirts of Paris and took advantage of changes. When his son Tyba was born five years ago, Antoine, who works full -time, was entitled to two weeks of paternity.

But in September 2020, paternity in France doubled, that is, Antoine received four weeks of work when his second child was born in 2023.

“It allowed me to support my wife and children,” he says. “Parents must be allowed more present during these periods of family life who enrich all relationships and allow them to fully take their place as parents.”

The rules for leaving France mean dads – including those involved in self -employment – should take a week at work immediately after the birth of the baby. The payment is covered by the employer for the first three days, but after that it is funded by the state.

The remaining 21 days that can be divided into two pieces, optional and can be taken at any time over the next six months. Payment is limited to 3 428 euros (2921 pounds) per month.

Andre, who was born in Portugal and spent nine years, living in England, says the great role played by Daddy in Denmark was one of the first things he noticed when he moved there.

“You see how dads play with their children and young babies,” Andre says. “I liked,” Wow, I’m not used to it. “

Dads in Denmark, including those engaged in self -employment, can take up to 24 weeks to work with full payment of the state.

After eleven weeks, the remaining 13 can be transferred to a birth partner so that they can use them as an additional maternity leave. One parent can postpone up to 13 weeks of parents until their child is nine years old.

Andre decided to share his parental vacation – having passed two weeks immediately after his child was born, and saved the other 11 weeks – so he could look after his nine -month -old son when his partner returns to work.

“Denmark is expected that the partner is more present,” Andre says. “Not only do you connect with the child, but you want to develop the family as a whole.”

Daddy with a full -time workplace in Poland is entitled to two weeks of parental vacation. But unlike the UK, the salary is 100%paid, which Camille says he was “big”.

Shortly after the first day of his daughter Mariana Camil took nine more weeks of his parental vacation, which should be taken in the first year. This is accessible to both parents while they work and pay 70% at the expense.

“For many families, 70% nine weeks are very low,” says Camil, “but … When I took a vacation, my wife started returning to work. I earned 30% less, but it started earning more, so it was useful for our family. “

Camille says that these extra nine weeks mitigated a lot of “stress” when his wife went back to work after a weekend on maternity leave.

“I was sure,” says Camil. “I felt as if I was doing a good job – and my daughter felt good with me.”

Matthias, from Stockholm, says that the consolation of her three-month-old son is “the best feeling I have ever felt”.

Matthias is able to use one of the most generous policy on vacation in the world. Parents in Sweden, including self -employed, can share up to 480 days of parental vacation, with 90 days reserved specifically for each parent.

The weekend for dads was first introduced in Sweden in 1995 with the introduction of the “moon’s dad” – 30 days only for parents. This model of use-it or due to the place increased to 60 days in 2002 and 90 days in 2016.

The first 390 days for each parent is paid by the government 80%, to the monthly salary in the SEK47 750 (3590 pounds). After that there is a daily statutory compensation for SEK180 (£ 14).

Matthias took six weeks when Otto was born since November and will use another nine months of parental vacation.

“We could share the load at the beginning when everything was new,” says Matthias. “The six weeks allowed us to be parents together is a big difference.”

Some companies, both in the UK and abroad, pay their own pocket for an extended vacation policy, which goes beyond the statutory minimum. But since 2023 studies have shown only 12% of parents from low -income households, and access to parental leave and employer payment.

Alex Lloid-Follow, co-founder Shift, says that “money is the biggest barrier” for dads hiring and wanting the government to finance the best parental leave for all dads.

The report published this week by the Women and Equality Committee (WEC) has found that the statutory payment in the UK “does not go out of life”. He believes that the government should consider increasing paternity payment to 90% or more, and in the parental approach up to six weeks.

The report also considered a general parental vacation, introduced in 2014, which allows parents to share up to 50 weeks of rest and up to 37 weeks of payment after birth or adoption of the child. The review shows that many families considered it “unnecessarily”. It is used in less than 2% of all births, and the report since 2023 suggests that almost half (45%) did not even know that the total parental vacation was an option.

“We know that the parental recreation system needs to be improved,” the press -secretary of the Department of Business and Trade said, adding that the government will consider maternity leave, parental vacation and general parental vacation.

They also pointed to changes that mean that dads will soon have to work for a company within 26 weeks to get the right to legal paternity.