Men 'will not use new paternity rights', study finds

Four out of 10 men will not be taking advantage of new paternity leave rights, partly because they believe it could affect their career, according to a new study today.

A survey of 1,000 men by price comparison website uSwitch.com showed that 41% will not take up the extended leave, partly because they were afraid of losing their job or believed they would not be able to take time off.

Most men welcomed the changes coming in on April 3, under which new fathers will be able to take up to six months paternity leave if their partner returns to work, with over two thirds saying time they had off after the birth of a previous child was not enough.

More than half of those who would not take paternity leave said they could not afford it, suggesting most will carry on as before, taking holiday when their child is born, said the report.

Ann Robinson, director of consumer policy at uSwitch.com, said: "The Government may have recognised that fathers today are a lot more hands-on than they may have been in the past, but putting legislation in to support this is only part of the battle. The biggest fight will be to change social opinion, fears and prejudices and this is not going to happen overnight.

"However, the biggest reason for men not taking paternity leave in the past, and to not be doing so in the future, is money. Unfortunately, the same financial constraints that force new mums back to work before they are ready will also deprive fathers of the option of spending more time with their new baby. Sadly, the financial realities of modern life will prevent many men from being the hands-on fathers they would like to be.

"With child trust funds cut and the removal of child benefits for high rate tax payers, family finances are under more pressure than ever."

From April 3, if a mother has returned to work, her partner can take leave between 20 weeks and one year after their child is born or placed for adoption.