Tag: parental leave

Looking inside the firm: Policy, employers and the future of work–family balance

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A woman with curly hair works at a desk with a laptop and papers, while a baby plays on a play mat on the floor beneath the desk.

This blog post is based on an article published in the Journal of International and Comparative Social Policy by Rosa Daiger von Gleichen, Marina Hagen, and Daniela Grunow. Work is changing rapidly. Digitalisation, new forms of performance monitoring, hybrid working arrangements and, increasingly, artificial intelligence are reshaping how, where and when work is done. These… Continue reading Looking inside the firm: Policy, employers and the future of work–family balance

Tinkering at the margins: why Labour’s parental leave reforms don’t currently deliver for families or the economy

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Mother working on a laptop at home while caring for a baby, illustrating the challenges of balancing paid work and childcare.

This blog post is based on an article published in Social Policy and Society by Anna Tarrant, Linzi Ladlow, Alison Koslowski, Harriet Churchill, Naomi Finch, and Patricia Hamilton. When Labour returned to government in 2024, parental leave reform sat near the top of its promises to working families. The manifesto and Labour’s Plan to Make… Continue reading Tinkering at the margins: why Labour’s parental leave reforms don’t currently deliver for families or the economy

Do Workplace Structures Limit Fathers’ Use of Parental Leave?

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Group of colleagues in a modern office meeting around a table with a laptop, engaged in discussion.

This blog post is based on an article published in the Journal of Social Policy by Simon N. Chapman, Sanni Kotimäki, Satu Helske, and Anna Erika Hägglund. Well-compensated, flexible, and non-transferable parental leave for fathers is increasingly viewed as an important policy tool for furthering equality within families. Despite this drive towards equality in caregiving… Continue reading Do Workplace Structures Limit Fathers’ Use of Parental Leave?

Maternity Leave as ‘Right’ or ‘Risk’? How Employers Justify Support or Resistance

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Illustration of a family protected by a drawn umbrella, symbolising maternity leave and workplace support.

This blog post is based on an article published in Social Policy and Society by Helen Kowalewska. Maternity leave is a cornerstone of the welfare state and a long-established right in the UK and nearly all high-income countries. Yet despite formal entitlements, many women still report being sidelined or penalised for taking maternity leave. Why… Continue reading Maternity Leave as ‘Right’ or ‘Risk’? How Employers Justify Support or Resistance

The High-Stakes Gamble of Father Leave: Why Political Courage still Falters

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This blog is based on an article published in the Journal of International and Comparative Social Policy by Martin Gurin and Janet C. Gornick. Imagine a policy so emblematic of gender equality that it ticks every box for progressives: dismantling breadwinner–caregiver stereotypes, promoting work–family balance, and boosting birth rates in ageing societies. And yet, in… Continue reading The High-Stakes Gamble of Father Leave: Why Political Courage still Falters