The study by the Equality and Human Rights Commission found that themost common reason why fathers do not take leave is because they simplycannot afford to.
Currently fathers are entitled to take two weeks' paid paternity leaveat 123.06 per week and 13 weeks' unpaid leave. They also have theright to request flexible working.
However, two in five men fear that asking for flexible workingarrangements may affect their job and chances of promotion, according tothe report.
Over half of fathers from a group of 4,500 parents responding to aYouGov survey and online fathers' forums supported an option to transfersix months of the mother's maternity leave to the father, to beintroduced next year. However, the research suggests that few fatherswould make use of it.
Sixty-one per cent said they would like an extra four weeks' paid leaveand 55 per cent said they would take this kind of leave if it wereavailable.
From April 2011 fathers will have the right to take three months' paidpaternity leave during the second six months of a child's life and afurther three months unpaid, if the mother returns to work (News, 24September).
Ed Davie from south London, whose daughter was born last July, took oneweek's paternity leave.
He said, 'I couldn't afford to take the full two weeks. We had to workto a tight budget before the baby came and spent a lot of money onfurniture for the nursery.
'I definitely needed the two weeks to bond and build a closerelationship with my daughter and would welcome any extension to the twoweeks' paternity leave.'
The report recommends fathers are given two weeks' paternity leave atthe birth of their child at 90 per cent pay, four months of parentalleave with at least eight weeks paid at 90 per cent, and another fourmonths that can be taken by either parent.
Adrienne Burgess, research manager at the Fatherhood Institute, said,'To encourage men to take paternity leave, support systems need to bestrengthened and more services need to cater for dads.
'We recommend that both parents are given 14 reserved weeks of leaveeach at 80 per cent pay and the other 24 weeks be flexible for mum ordad. If either parent fails to take their reserved weeks, they losethem. This would make it easier for dads to ask their employer for timeoff.'
- Further information: The report, 'Working Better - Fathers, family andwork' is at www.equalityhumanrights.com
