Despite the growing availability of paternity leave policies across the world, the take-up of parental leave among fathers is very low. This is also the case in the UK, where parental leave for fathers exists in the form of shared parental leave (SPL). This paper investigates whether the low take-up of SPL is the UK is driven by individuals not valuing the time fathers spend with their newborn children. Using a novel survey on a nationally representative sample of individuals in child-bearing age in the UK, we elicit beliefs about the non-pecuniary returns to SPL. We show that individuals believe that sharing parental leave between the partners increases the well-being of mothers, fathers, and children. We also show that beliefs on the non-pecuniary returns to SPL shape parents’ – and particularly mothers’- decisions regarding parental leave. Finally, leveraging a randomised information experiment, we show that providing respondents with information about the consequences of SPL makes people appreciate the non-pecuniary returns to SPL even more. However, it has little impact on people’s beliefs about the optimal allocation of parental leave between partners and support for SPL, likely due to monetary and psychological barriers preventing fathers from taking parental leave.
Presented by:
Dr Laura Fumagalli - ISER
Date & time:
October 9, 2024 12:30 pm - October 9, 2024 1:30 pm
Venue:
ISER Large Seminar Room 2N2.4.16
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