PRESS RELEASE 4 August 1999

Make Family Leave for working parents a reality

The Low Pay Unit today warmly welcomed the government's consultation exercise on family friendly working practices. But it urged the government to ensure that these policies are backed with adequate resources to make them a realty for working parents.

Parental leave can encourage better parenting, improve equality of opportunities; and allow women to participate in the world of work as well as allowing people to reconcile home and work life.

Bharti Patel, Director of the Low Pay Unit said:

"If these goals are to be achieved, leave from work to look after children must not just be a paper right but a practical possibility. For most employees, but especially the low paid, time off can only be taken if it is paid. Low income families will not being able to make ends meet while taking parental leave if it means going without earnings".

For further information, contact: Bharti Patel, Director, or Nick Burkitt, Senior Researcher: 0171 713 7616 (mobile:) 07887 643 750

Notes to editors:

• The Low Pay Unit has produced costings for a potential scheme for paying parental leave, where families on the new Working Families Tax Credit would have their wages replaced by the state while they take parental leave.
  Paying the wages of all Family Credit recipients would cost just £117m per year, even if everyone eligible took the full three months per child.

• The USA has had unpaid parental leave since 1993, but President Clinton has mentioned the possibility of paying it for low paid workers.