New research shows working parents ‘want more flexibility’

Research by health insurance group Bupa found that 27% of working parents want more flexibility at work.

One area that allows businesses to give working parents more flexibility is to offer ‘shared parental leave’.

This is where both parents can take time off in a more flexible way during your baby’s first year.

The new research has revealed a 33% increase in Google UK searches for ‘shared parental leave’ over the past year, too.

Nordic countries are shaping the future of shared parental leave

The research also shown that Nordic countries are paving the way for more flexible parental leave, allowing parents to share their time-off.

New parents in Sweden are entitled to 480 days leave after their child is born, compared with 50 weeks (380 days) in the UK.

Which European countries offer the most maternity leave?

An analysis into every European maternity policy found that Bulgaria offer the highest paid time away from work (58.6 weeks).

This is closely followed by a wealth of countries offering 52 weeks of statutory paid leave, including Albania, Denmark, and Serbia.

Whilst the UK currently offers new mums 52 weeks off, only 39 weeks must be paid by your employer. This ranks the UK in 6th place, tied with Kosovo and North Macedonia.

Which European countries offer the most paternity leave?

Paternity leave varies widely across Europe, but in general fathers are entitled to fewer days off work compared to new mothers.

The average paid paternity leave is just 3.4 weeks, compared to 23.1 weeks for statutory maternity leave.

Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland) offer generous paternity leave policies, with Sweden offering the highest statutory paternity leave at 34 weeks.

Commenting on the research, Pablo Vandenabeele, Clinical Director of Mental Health at Bupa UK, said: “Creating more options for new parents gives them greater choice in how to balance their own work and home life.

“Similarly, allowing parents more choice and flexibility to combine work with childcare responsibilities means that as an employer, you’ll be able to better recruit and retain talent.”