Working Dads’ Summit – unveils first equal parental leave leaderboard – with 165 companies in the UK making parenting equal today
First national summit for working dads in the UK celebrates the rise in equal parenting leave – with 72 UK companies offering dads up to Six months fully paid paternity leave today
DATE: Tuesday 16th September 2025; New research today has unveiled the first ever list of all the 165 UK employers offering Equal Parental Leave (EPL).
The full findings formally launched at the UK’s first Working Dads’ Summit, hosted by workplace culture change programme Parenting Out Loud.
The research highlights the growing number of businesses recognising the importance of supporting dads to take an equal role in parenting — with clear benefits for families, gender equality, business productivity and the economy.
The UK has one of the least generous statutory paternity packages in Europe. Fathers, and other eligible non-birthing partners, are entitled to just two weeks of statutory paternity leave. The pay is either £187.18 per week (as of April 2025) or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. This is 43% lower than the national living wage, and according to The TUC, 1 in 5 dads in the UK take no parental leave at all.
While government policy lags behind, and the call for government to improve statutory parental leave grows louder, many employers are stepping up.
The revolutionary Equal Parental Leave policy ensures that any parent, regardless of gender, family structure or route to parenthood is entitled to the same amount of paid time off to care for their new baby.
This means that for dads, and non-birthing partners, they are entitled to generous enhanced and fully paid leave, irrespective of their partner’s leave entitlements.
Of the 165 UK employers offering Equal Parental Leave, 72 offer dads up to 6 months fully paid paternity leave. With the average being 20 weeks of fully paid paternity leave. Another benefit of the leave is that it can often be taken in two parts, many dads will take a period of leave when their baby is first born and another period of leave when their partner returns to work.
The research shows that the companies offering Equal Parental Leave overwhelmingly sit in the banking, insurance, legal and FMCG sectors, along with good representation from publishing, consulting and charity sectors.
Companies that have introduced Equal Parental Leave and offer supportive workplace cultures are already seeing significant impact in terms of recruitment, retention, staff wellbeing and gender balance.
Elliott Rae, Founder of Parenting Out Loud comments, “Supporting dads to be equal parents is good for everybody. It is essential for workplace gender equality with 80% of the gender pay gap attributed to the motherhood penalty. It’s essential to improve parents’ wellbeing as 1 in 5 mums and 1 in 10 dads experience some symptoms of post-natal depression. And it’s essential for children as the benefit of strong paternal involvement in the early years supports wellbeing and resilience outcomes.
“However, the policy alone is not enough. Businesses must invest in culture change work to normalise male caring and support dads to Parent Out Loud at work; taking the full parental leave available, requesting flexible working for childcare reasons and having an open diary with their childcare responsibilities. It’s the policy and culture change together that supports society to move away from some of the harmful and narrow traditional ideas of masculinity and evolve what it means to be a man and a dad for the benefit of everybody.”
The employers that offer Equal Parental Leave will be celebrated at the UK’s first Working Dads’ Summit. The Summit is sponsored by Universal Music Group UK, one of the UK employers that offer Equal Parental Leave.
Theo Broughton, Head of Creative from Universal Music Group
Theo Broughton, Head of Creative from Universal Music Group UK has recently taken up from 6 months paid paternity leave.
He said: “Our new equal family policy has been enormously beneficial to me and my family. It’s allowed me to be fully present with my family, supporting my partner during a challenging birth for the first month. I’ve also taken 5 months later in the year to be the primary carer of our daughter while my wife returns to work. We don’t have family in or anywhere near London, so being able to split the time allows us both to bond with her and keep our careers moving forward.”
Ange Pattico, Chief People Officer, UMG UK said: “At the heart of UMG UK culture is a deep recognition that family plays a vital role in our wellbeing and long-term success – both personally and professionally. That’s why we introduced our Family Matters equal parental leave policy in 2023: to ensure every parent, regardless of gender or role, can be present for life’s most meaningful moments. This policy isn’t just about time off – it’s about creating space for connection, growth and choice.
We’re proud that we have seen tremendous uptake of our enhanced partner leave offer, a signal that reflects changing norms and a more inclusive approach to caregiving. And it’s having impact. Parents have told us how the leave, combined with our parental transition coaching, has helped them navigate new responsibilities, engage in open conversations with their managers and return to work with confidence and clarity. When we support families, we support the whole person – and that’s what drives a thriving and resilient workplace.”
Zarar Ali, a manager in Deloitte’s technology & transformation business
Zarar Ali, a manager in Deloitte’s technology & transformation business, welcomed his first child, Eliz, earlier this year. He also took advantage of Deloitte’s extended paid family leave, taking six months off, so he could actively participate in his daughter’s early life.
He said: “The extended paid family leave allowed me to fully support my wife and bond with Eliz. Having the time to learn, laugh, and grow as a family was invaluable, especially since our immediate family live abroad. My team has been incredibly supportive throughout the entire process, both before my leave and once I returned to work.”
Jackie Henry, managing partner for people and purpose at Deloitte, said: “Our family leave policy is a significant step towards becoming an even more family-friendly place to work. It supports our people in balancing work and family responsibilities from the early days of parenthood, ultimately fostering greater gender equality in the workplace.
So far, over 625 non-birth parents have applied, with 360 already taking leave averaging 23 weeks. It’s brilliant seeing the first colleagues benefiting from our new policy and hearing about the difference it’s making. We were confident that enhancing our family leave policies was the right thing to do, but the sheer volume of positive messages shared by our people surpassed our expectations.
We need to keep on creating a culture where everyone feels empowered to take full advantage of the support available, without fear of stigma or career repercussions. We’ll continue to review and evolve our policies to meet our people’s changing needs.”
E.ON, who will also be sharing insights at the Summit, offer Equal Parental Leave, with over 350 colleagues taking this benefit so far since it was launched in January 2023.
David Evans, Improvement Senior Lead at npower Business Solutions, which is part of E.ON UK
David Evans, Improvement Senior Lead at npower Business Solutions, which is part of E.ON UK, took Equal Parent Leave and said: “Having had a baby who unfortunately had to go into neonatal, I will be forever grateful for the neonatal and extended parental leave support offered through E.ON. For four weeks I had the opportunity to support my wife and my son in a way that no other father in that ward did. I was able to become NGT Tube trained and feed my son independently. I was able to spend all day on that ward with no thought for anything other than my family. E.ON is providing fathers the opportunity to be there in ways few other employers are.
“Once we left the hospital, our new family was able to spend 18 additional weeks together, in whatever way suited us. I chose to break my entitlement into smaller chunks and spread them out over 12 months. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to be “present” for baby sensory, for my son’s first go on the swing and for so many other firsts. Thank you to everyone who helped in giving working dads at E.ON that opportunity.”
Charlotte Lack, Head of Safe and Well at E.ON UK, said: “Stories like David’s clearly demonstrate how supporting Equal Parent Leave is about so much more than just time off – it’s about shifting cultures and respecting our colleagues both inside and outside of work.
“When we actively encourage fathers to take leave and be truly present with their families, we send a powerful message: that care and responsibility are shared, and everyone deserves the opportunity to show up fully both at home and at work. At E.ON, we’re proud to create an environment where this is not only possible but celebrated as part of our wider commitment to supporting families in all their forms and at every stage of their journey.”
As the UK’s first dedicated Working Dads’ Summit, the event will showcase best practice in how organisations can create workplaces where dads feel empowered to Parent Out Loud and create momentum around the growing movement for dads to be equal parents at home.
Elliott Rae, founder of Parenting Out Loud, said “it’s great to see so many UK employers supporting dads to be equal parents at home and be loud and proud about their caring responsibilities at work. Gender roles are evolving and dads no longer want to play a bit part role in family life. As dads, we can be providers and we can be provided for, leaders and be led, be breadwinners and caregivers. The Working Dads’ Summit will recognise this shift in society, celebrate the progress we have made and share best practise so we can empower every dad in the UK to Parent Out Loud at work. If we are going to address the motherhood penalty and support families to have full, whole and happy lives, this is not just a nice to have but an absolute priority for Government, businesses and individuals.”
Headline speakers at the Working Dads’ Summit include Stella Creasy MP and Baroness Penn, who will deliver a joint keynote on statutory paternity leave reform. The programme also features a live recording of the To Be A Boy podcast with Joeli Brearley, founder of Pregnant Then Screwed and Director of Growth Spurt and powerful conversations with dads navigating co-parenting, raising neurodiverse children and balancing fatherhood with caring for aging parents.
The Summit is backed by leading industry campaigners and bodies including CIPD, The Fatherhood Institute, 30% Club and Working Families.
The Summit will take place on Tuesday 23rd September and you can register to attend online, for free, here.
| Company name | Duration of Equal Parental Leave | Pay during leave | Eligibility |
| Abercrombie and Kent Travel Group | 18 weeks | 18 weeks | |
| Abrdn (Standard Life Aberdeen PLC) | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Addleshaw Goddard | 20 weeks | 20 weeks full pay | Eligible for those employed for at least 26 weeks by the end of the 15th week before the expected week of |
| Aldi | 6 weeks | 6 weeks full pay | |
| Alternative Airlines | 13 weeks | 13 weeks full pay | Eligible employees after 52 weeks, at the 15th week before expected childbirth. |
| Alzheimer’s Society | 16 weeks | 16 weeks full pay | |
| American Express | 20 weeks | 20 weeks full pay | |
| Ashurst | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | |
| Aviva PLC | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay, 26 weeks unpaid | Eligible after 26 weeks |
| BAE Systems | 20 weeks | 20 weeks Paid at regular rate | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Baillie Gifford | 39 weeks | 26 weeks full pay, 13 weeks half pay | Available from day 1 |
| Bain & Company | 52 weeks | 29 weeks full pay, 10 weeks half pay | Available from day 1 |
| BBC & BBC studios | 52 weeks | 18 weeks full pay | Eligible after 26 weeks |
| Beazley | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Available from day 1 |
| Beyond Equality | 39 weeks | 12 weeks full pay then 27 weeks of pay at the level equivalent to statutory maternity leave pay | |
| Bonnier Books UK | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Eligible after 24 months service |
| Boodle Hatfield | 39 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Booking.com | 22 weeks | Available from day 1 | |
| Brightwell | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Eligible after 26 weeks of continuous employment, up to the 15th week of the expected birth |
| Bristows LLP | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | |
| British Heart Foundation | 12 weeks | 12 weeks full pay | |
| Browne Jacobson | 26 weeks | 13 weeks full pay, 13 weeks half pay | |
| BT Group | 52 weeks | 18 weeks full pay, 8 weeks half pay and 26 weeks at the statutory rate | |
| Bumble | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Burberry Group PLC | 18 weeks | 18 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Cambridge University Press | 26 weeks | 13 weeks SMP and 13 weeks unpaid | Available from day 1 |
| CHANEL | 14 weeks | 14 weeks full pay | |
| CIPD | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Circus PPC | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | |
| Clyde and Co. | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Concio | 26 weeks | 13 weeks full pay and 13 weeks half pay | |
| Contentful | 16 weeks | 16 weeks full pay | Eligible after 6 months service |
| Convatec | 52 weeks | 26 weeks full pay, 26 weeks unpaid or statutory | |
| Convex | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Available from day 1 |
| Correla | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | |
| Coty | 14 weeks | 14 weeks full pay | |
| Danone UK | 18 weeks | 18 weeks | |
| Deloitte | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Eligible after 3 months service |
| Deutsche Bank | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Diageo | 52 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Available from day 1 |
| Direct Line Group | 20 weeks | 20 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| DNB Bank | 16 weeks | 16 weeks full pay | |
| Dragonfish | 26 weeks | 13 weeks full pay and 13 weeks half pay | |
| Eagley School House Nurseries | |||
| E.ON | 18 weeks | 18 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Enable Law | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | |
| Etsy | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Available from day 1 |
| Ferring Pharmaceuticals | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | |
| Festive road | 12 weeks | 12 weeks | |
| Fidelity International | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Financial Services Compensation Scheme | 26 weeks | 20 weeks | |
| First wealth | 8 weeks | 8 weeks full pay | |
| Five by Five | 26 weeks | 13 weeks full pay and 13 weeks half pay | |
| FootAnstey | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | |
| FundApps | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Available from day 1 |
| Gamesys | 26 weeks | 10 weeks of parental leave at full pay, followed by 16 weeks of leave at half pay, then 13 weeks at the statutory shared parental pay rate. The final 13 weeks of parental leave are unpaid. | |
| Gate One | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Eligible after 18 months service |
| General Mills | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | |
| Genuit Group | 52 weeks | 26 weeks | |
| GlaxoSmithKline PLC | 18 weeks | 18 weeks full pay for primary and secondary carers | |
| Goldman Sachs | 52 weeks | 16 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Greif UK Ltd | 6 weeks | 6 weeks full pay | |
| Hachette | 37 weeks | 20 weeks full pay | Available from day 1 |
| Haleon | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Halma PLC | 14 weeks | 14 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Hassell | 16 weeks | 16 weeks full pay | |
| Herbert Smith Freehills | 24 weeks | 24 weeks full pay | |
| Hewlett Packard Enterprises | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | |
| HG | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Eligible after 6 months service |
| Hodge Bank | 20 weeks | 20 weeks full pay | Eligible after 6 months service |
| HP | 26 weeks | 26 weeks | |
| Impact EdGroup | 52 weeks | 16 weeks full pay | You need to have 52 weeks of service by the end of the 15th week before the baby is due to qualify. |
| Innocent Drinks | 52 weeks | 17 weeks full pay | |
| Invesco | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Investec | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | |
| Ipsos | 39 weeks | 12 weeks of fully paid leave, followed by 27 weeks leave at double the rate of statutory pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Japan Tabacco Int. | 20 weeks | 20 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Jones Lang laSalle | 52 weeks | 6 months full pay | Eligible after 6 months service |
| John Lewis | 26 weeks | 14 weeks full pay, 12 weeks half pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Johnson & Johnson | 12 weeks | 12 weeks full pay | Eligible after 6 months service |
| JP Morgan | 26 weeks | 16 weeks full pay | |
| Kearney | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | |
| Kering | 14 weeks | 14 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Klarna | 47.3 weeks | 20 weeks full pay | |
| Knight Frank | 52 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Laing O’Rourke | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Lawton Communication Group | 26 weeks | 13 weeks full pay and 13 weeks half pay | |
| Lenovo | 16 weeks | 16 weeks full pay and birth mums get an additional 6–8 weeks of short-term disability. | |
| Lewis Silkin | 52 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | |
| Linklaters | 26 weeks | 12 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Lloyd’s Banking Group | 52 weeks | 6 months full pay. Partners can have six weeks of fully paid paternity leave. | Available from day 1 |
| London Stock Exchange | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| M&G PLC | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Eligible after 6 months continuous service. |
| Manifest | |||
| Mars | 52 weeks | 26 weeks at 90% of salary, 26 weeks unpaid | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Mastercard | 16 weeks | 16 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| MiQ | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Eligible after 6 months service |
| Mishcon de Reya LLP | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Molson Coors Beverage Company | 52 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | |
| Mongo DB | 20 weeks | 20 weeks full pay | |
| Moody’s | 16 weeks | 16 weeks full pay | |
| Movember | 18 weeks | 13 weeks full pay | Eligible after 6 months |
| MS Amlin | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Available from day 1 |
| Munich RE | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | |
| National Grid | 50 weeks | 26 weeks full pay, | |
| Natwest Group PLC | 52 weeks | 24 weeks full pay, 15 weeks statutory pay; remainder up to week 52 unpaid. | Eligible after 12 months service |
| National Employment Savings Trust | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| National Wealth Fund | 52 weeks | National Wealth Fund 26 weeks full pay and 26 weeks unpaid https://www.nationalwealthfund.org.uk/additional-benefits | |
| Netflix | 52 weeks | 52 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| NHBC | 39 weeks | 13 weeks full pay, 26 weeks at statutory maternity pay | Eligible after 6 months service |
| Novartis | 26 weeks | 26 weeks | Available from day 1 |
| Numi | 52 weeks | 12 weeks full pay, then next 12 weeks 75% pay, following 12 weeks 50% pay and final 12 weeks 25% pay | If 12 weeks before the expected birth or adoption you have been employed by numi continuously for at least 26 weeks, you’ll be entitled to this policy. |
| Octopus Ventures | 50 weeks | 37 weeks | |
| Pan Macmillan | 52 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Paul Hastings | 30 weeks | 14 weeks full pay | Available from day 1 |
| Pearson PLC | 52 weeks | 37 weeks statutory | |
| Penguin Random House | 52 weeks | 25 weeks full pay | |
| Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP | 52 weeks | 26 weeks full pay followed by 26 weeks unpaid | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Phoenix Group Holdings PLC | 52 weeks | 26 weeks paid, 13 weeks on statutory pay and 13 weeks at zero pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Pinsent Masons | 50 weeks | 37 weeks pay | |
| 20 weeks | 20 weeks | Eligible after 12 months service | |
| Proper snacks | |||
| Protector Insurance | 22 weeks | 22 weeks full pay | |
| QBE Insurance | 52 weeks | 26 weeks full pay, 26 weeks unpaid | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Regent’s University London | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Eligible after 6 months service |
| Remote (Payroll Software) | 16 weeks | 16 weeks full pay | Available from day 1 |
| Rio Tinto PLC | 18 weeks | 18 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| RSA Insurance Group | 52 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Eligible after 6 months service |
| S&P Global | 20 weeks | 20 weeks | Available from day 1 |
| Sanofi | 14 weeks | 14 weeks | |
| Santander | 52 weeks | 23 weeks full pay | Eligible after 6 months service |
| Schroders PLC | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Available from day 1 |
| Seaco | 18 weeks | 18 weeks full pay | Eligible after 6 months service |
| Sidley Austin | 14 weeks | 14 weeks full pay | |
| Sir Robert McAlpine | 26 weeks | 26 weeks | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Slalom UK | 50 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Eligible after 6 months service |
| Sodexo | 18 weeks | 18 weeks full pay | Available from day 1 |
| Sony Music | 52 weeks | 52 weeks | |
| Spirax-Sarco Engineering PLC | 16 weeks | 16 weeks | Available from day 1 |
| Spotify | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Available from day 1 |
| St James’s Place | 52 weeks | 6 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 weeks service |
| Standard Chartered Bank | 20 weeks | 20 weeks | |
| Tate and Lyle | 16 weeks | 16 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Teacher Development Trust charity | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Eligible after 24 months service |
| The Fatherhood Institute | 6 weeks | 6 weeks full pay | Available from day 1 |
| The Glenmorangie company | 52 weeks | 26 weeks at 100% of contractual weekly pay; – 15 weeks at 50% of contractual weekly pay OR statutory pay (“Family Related Statutory Pay”), whichever is the greater. | Available from day 1 |
| The Stand | 52 weeks | 12 weeks full pay, 12 weeks half pay, 15 weeks SMP, then the rest unpaid | Eligible after 3 years |
| Thomson Reuters | 16 weeks | 16 weeks | |
| Ticketmaster | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | |
| Ticket Tailor | 13 weeks | 13 weeks full pay | |
| TSA | 26 weeks | 13 weeks full pay and 13 weeks half pay | |
| TSB Bank | 39 weeks | 20 weeks full pay | Available from day 1 |
| UBS | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | |
| Unicef | 52 weeks | up to 37 weeks paid | |
| Unite students | 52 weeks | 18 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| University Arts London | 26 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Eligible after 6 months service |
| Universal Music Group | 52 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | |
| Virgin Money | 52 weeks | 20 weeks full pay, 32 weeks unpaid | Available from day 1 |
| VMWare | 18 weeks | 18 weeks full pay | |
| Vodafone | 16 weeks | 16 weeks | Available from day 1 |
| Volvo Group | 24 weeks | 24 weeks of parental leave at 80 per cent of their base pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Wates | 52 weeks | 26 weeks full pay, and a further 26 weeks SMP | Available from day 1 |
| Wise | 18 weeks | 18 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
| Young Women’s Group | 52 weeks | 26 weeks full pay | Available from day 1 |
| Zurich Insurance | 16 weeks | 16 weeks full pay | Eligible after 12 months service |
