SPL allows mothers to cut their maternity leave short after the initial two weeks and share the remaining leave with their partners

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 Four years after its introduction in the UK, shared parental leave (SPL) remains underutilized, with relatively few families taking advantage of the policy designed to involve both parents in child-rearing. SPL allows mothers to cut their maternity leave short after the initial two weeks and share the remaining leave with their partners, either taking leave together or at different times within the first year of their child’s life. Despite its potential to increase fathers’ participation in early childcare, various barriers limit its adoption.

Key Barriers to Shared Parental Leave

  1. Mothers as Gatekeepers: The structure of SPL makes mothers the gatekeepers, requiring them to sacrifice some of their maternity leave for their partner to take leave. This decision places the burden of initiating SPL on mothers, who may be hesitant to give up their time off, particularly if they are breastfeeding or feel the need to bond longer with their baby.

  2. Workplace Culture: Many employers have been slow to fully embrace and normalize SPL. Fathers may feel uncomfortable requesting leave, fearing it could impact their careers or be seen as unconventional. Without strong support and encouragement from employers, parents may be less likely to consider SPL as a viable option.

  3. Breastfeeding and SPL: The interplay between breastfeeding and shared parental leave is a significant barrier. Most workplaces in the UK are not designed to support breastfeeding mothers, making it difficult for women to return to work while continuing to breastfeed. The lack of support to pump or express milk at work, coupled with social and logistical challenges, often leads women to remain at home longer to breastfeed more easily. Research indicates that mothers feel breastfeeding would be disrupted or made impossible if they returned to work early and shared leave with their partner. For example, one mother noted how her milk supply dropped when she returned to work at nine months, and she feared it would have been "a disaster" to go back even earlier.

Insights from Research

A recent study in collaboration with The National Breastfeeding Helpline surveyed over 450 mothers, revealing that while 95% of mothers believed breastfeeding is the preferred choice for young babies, nearly half felt they would have to stop breastfeeding if they participated in SPL. Many mothers expressed discomfort with expressing breast milk, with one mother explaining that breastfeeding on demand for the first year was a priority and that expressing was not a viable alternative.

Broader Breastfeeding Barriers

The UK’s low breastfeeding rate is driven by multiple factors, including negative attitudes toward breastfeeding in public, lack of workplace support, and cuts to public health funding that limit breastfeeding education and services. This not only affects breastfeeding rates but also impacts shared parental leave take-up rates, as the ability to breastfeed comfortably is often tied to a mother’s decision to remain at home longer.

What Can Be Done?

To increase the uptake of SPL and improve breastfeeding rates, several changes are needed:

  1. Normalizing SPL in the Workplace: Employers need to create a supportive environment that encourages both mothers and fathers to take shared leave without fear of career repercussions. This requires policy changes, active promotion of SPL, and leadership by example from high-level management.

  2. Breastfeeding-Friendly Workplaces: Workplaces should offer private, comfortable spaces for mothers to express milk and provide adequate breaks for them to do so. Ensuring that mothers can continue breastfeeding if they return to work early will help them feel more comfortable sharing parental leave.

  3. Improved Public Health Support: Increased funding for public health initiatives that promote breastfeeding and provide practical support to mothers would help address some of the broader cultural and systemic issues limiting breastfeeding rates.

Ultimately, increasing SPL uptake and improving breastfeeding rates go hand in hand. Both require better support from employers, changes in workplace culture, and more robust public health programs to ensure that mothers and fathers feel empowered to make choices that work best for their families

The findings that 57% of mothers would be willing to express breast milk at work, but only 3% are provided with adequate facilities, highlight a significant gap in workplace support for breastfeeding in the UK. Many mothers face the frustration of having private rooms with plug sockets to pump but no access to a fridge, making it impossible to store their expressed milk safely. These challenges underscore the need for clearer laws and better policies to support breastfeeding in the workplace.

Key Steps to Improve Breastfeeding Support in the Workplace

  1. Clear Legal Requirements:

    • Private rooms with essential facilities: At a minimum, workplaces should be legally required to provide private rooms with plug sockets for breast pumps and access to a fridge for storing breast milk. This ensures that expressing milk is practical and effective for mothers returning to work.
    • Flexible working policies: Mothers should have the flexibility to take breaks when needed to express milk. This flexibility should be supported by law, ensuring that all employers accommodate breastfeeding needs without penalizing employees.

  2. Breastfeeding-Friendly Workplaces:

    • Breastfeeding-friendly policies should become the norm across all sectors. This means employers should actively promote and support breastfeeding, making it easier for mothers to continue nursing their babies while balancing work responsibilities.
    • On-site nurseries: In larger companies or organizations, on-site childcare could allow mothers who prefer not to express milk to breastfeed during the workday. This arrangement would not only support breastfeeding but also foster a more family-friendly work culture.

Learning from Nordic Models:

The UK could benefit from looking to countries like Sweden, which has some of the highest breastfeeding rates globally. Key aspects of the Swedish approach include:

  • Restricted advertising of infant formula: By limiting formula marketing, Sweden promotes breastfeeding as the default option, encouraging more mothers to choose breastfeeding.
  • Generous parental leave: Sweden provides substantial maternity and paternity leave, allowing mothers the time and financial security to breastfeed without feeling pressured to return to work quickly. This may explain why over 80% of Swedish mothers breastfeed.
  • Cultural recognition of caregiving: In Sweden, the government views women as both caregivers and vital contributors to the workforce. Policies are designed to support women in both roles, something the UK is still striving to achieve.

Conclusion:

To improve breastfeeding rates and workplace participation for women in the UK, clear laws are needed to ensure that employers provide essential breastfeeding facilities and support. Flexible working conditions, private rooms with fridges, and an overall shift towards breastfeeding-friendly workplaces could make a substantial difference. Additionally, learning from countries like Sweden, where breastfeeding is encouraged through both policy and cultural recognition, could help the UK improve its approach to parental leave and workplace accommodations for breastfeeding mothers.

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