Police Paternity Leave Doubles to Two Weeks After Backlash 2026

Police paternity leave in England and Wales is set to double from one week to two weeks, following a Guardian investigation that revealed officers were mocked and ostracised for taking time off to care for their newborns. The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has announced the increase across all forces, bringing fathers' leave in line with mothers'.

Why Police Paternity Leave Needed to Change

Last year, the Guardian reported that police officers who took paternity leave faced hostility from colleagues, with some describing being "mocked and ostracised" for prioritising family time. This led to a review of the policy, and now the government has acted to ensure new fathers are better supported.

The New Policy Details

Under the new rules, all police officers in England and Wales will receive two weeks of fully paid paternity leave, up from the previous one week. Previously, only a quarter of forces offered two weeks at full pay, while others provided one week at full pay and a second week at statutory pay. This inconsistency meant that only 40% of officers in the latter group took the second week, compared to 88% in the former.

Comparison of Old vs New Paternity Leave

The change is expected to significantly increase the number of officers taking their full entitlement, as the financial barrier is removed.

Impact on Public Sector Paternity Leave

This move has galvanised campaigners who argue that paternity leave across the public sector is poor and patchy. The policing minister, Sarah Jones, said: "Police officers work tirelessly to protect the public, so it is right that new fathers are better supported to spend time with their families."

Campaigners are now pushing for similar improvements for military fathers. Conservative peer Joanna Penn has tabled an amendment to the armed forces bill that would triple paternity leave to six weeks for serving personnel. A government survey found that nearly 30% of armed forces families were separated for more than three months in the last year, and a survey by The Dad Shift found that over 95% of serving parents believe the current paternity offer is insufficient.

Key Takeaways

• Police paternity leave doubles to two weeks full pay across all forces in England and Wales.
• The change follows reports of officers being ostracised for taking leave.
• Only 40% of officers took the second week when it was statutory pay, compared to 88% when fully paid.
• Campaigners are now targeting military paternity leave, with a proposal to increase it to six weeks.
• The government faces pressure to improve paternity leave across the entire public sector.

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