British Dads Are Striking For Better Paternity Leave

At this point, we all know that parental leave in the United States is trash. We’re the only so-called “developed” country without guaranteed paid leave for new parents. The lucky few among us will have employers with generous leave policies. The less-but-still-kind-of lucky will be able to make use of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which guarantees 12 unpaid weeks of leave for certain employees. And 44% of us have no guarantees to leave, paid or unpaid, at all.

This is often even worse for fathers than mothers: many companies with good maternity leave policies fall short of greatness when it comes to paternity leave. But it turns out we’re (sadly) not alone. Across the pond, fathers in the U.K. are only entitled to 2 weeks of guaranteed paternity leave — the least in all of Europe. Like, it’s better than ours but it sure ain’t great. And in June, some UK dads are planning the first ever Dad Strike to demand more.

The strike is being organized by a campaign called The Dad Shift, an organization campaigning for better paternity leave in the UK. Their previous acts of protest and awareness raising include strapping baby slings (and dolls) to statues of famous men around London. Currently, leave for U.K. dads and non-gestational parents is two weeks with pay that equals about half the minimum wage. Self-employed parents don’t qualify for state support at all. Mothers who give birth, on the other hand, receive 90% of their weekly earnings (if it fluctuates they calculate the average) for six weeks and then £187.18 for up to 33 weeks after that.

“The UK’s statutory paternity leave is bad. Really bad. In fact, it’s the worst in Europe,” The Dad Shift’s website explains. “There’s now loads of evidence that this is bad for everyone: mums, dads, kids, and society as a whole.”

And so, on June 11, the organization is holding what they say is the world's first DadStrike. Participating protesters will pressure employers for their right to “Picket or Pickup.” Picketing parents will spend the day protesting the current paternity leave policy outside of the Department of Business and Trade in London. Those who opt for “Pick-Up” are going to be doing all the school and daycare related labor for the day, namely drop-off and pick-up, which may require adjusted work hours.

The Dad Shift is calling for a leave policy that is substantial (gives them enough time with their new children); affordable (offers enough compensation that they can afford to take advantage of the policy); and equal.

And so, men of America, take note from your bros/bruvs over in the U.K. Because, as the organization says, families should be “free to shape their own roles in the family, not have them dictated by gender.”