I wish....
Labour Minister Beverley Hughes has been slapped down by the DTI for proposing that new Fathers be given 4 weeks off.
While I would have loved an additional two weeks at home I don't seriously think that there is a good reason justify extending the two-weeks statutory leave men are now entitled too.
The aim paternity leave should be to help look after the mother and any existing children in the immediate aftermath of the new baby's arrival. However fathers have to return to work at some point and in my view the balance between helping families and imposing an additional burden on businesses (especially small business) is now about right. We already have the right to request take additional unpaid leave in the child's first seven years.
The rationale for Ms Hughes' proposal was that research shows children with an actively involved father have better behaviour and improved attainment at school. While I don't doubt that this is the case, in my view no amount of additional government sponsored time-off can guarantee this. If a father wants to be actively involved with his children he will be, and good community role models are more likely to change the behaviour of some feckless fathers than government dictat.
