logo
Day in Photos: Bangladesh Air Crash, Belgian National Day, and Releasing Turtles Into the Sea

Day in Photos: Bangladesh Air Crash, Belgian National Day, and Releasing Turtles Into the Sea

Epoch Times23-07-2025
Open sidebar
A glimpse into the world through the lens of photography.
Listen
Save
By Epoch Times Staff
|
July 21, 2025Updated:July 21, 2025
Share this article
Leave a comment
More Photo Pages
see more
Day in Photos: Protests in Gambia, Detention of Illegal Immigrant, and Peace Talks Between Ukraine and Russia
Day in Photos: GOP Press Conference, Flood in the Philippines, and Fishing Cat
America in Photos: Remembering Persecution Victims, Funeral for Texas Sisters, and Largest Mars Rock
Day in Photos: Floods in India, Vehicle Drives Into Crowd, and 125th Anniversary of Paris Metro
Day in Photos: Fire in France, School Bus Crash, and World Aquatics Championships
Day in Photos: Falun Dafa Parade, Royal Salute, Civilian Drill in Taiwan
Day in Photos: Heavy Rains in Mexico, Clashes in Syria, and Lavender Harvest
Day in Photos: Amphibious Landing Rehearsal, Grand Canyon Fire, End of San Fermin
Day in Photos: Heavy Rains in Pakistan, Bastille Day Military Parade, and Counting Swans on the Thames
To ensure we reach the high standards of reliability and neutrality that you expect from us, we are engaging with Ad Fontes Media to analyze our content. If you find an article you think falls short of the standard, please submit the link through this form.
Copyright © 2000 - 2025 The Epoch Times Association Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Orphaned bear cubs rescued from Calaveras County neighborhood
Orphaned bear cubs rescued from Calaveras County neighborhood

CBS News

time2 days ago

  • CBS News

Orphaned bear cubs rescued from Calaveras County neighborhood

A litter of bear cubs seen wandering a Calaveras County neighborhood alone have been taken in by wildlife rescuers in Southern California. The San Diego Humane Society says the three cubs were spotted over the course of several days. With no mother in sight, the cubs were rescued by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and then taken to the San Diego Humane Society's Ramona Wildlife Center. Officials say the cubs, two males and a female, were about six to seven months old. Rescuers euthanized one of the cubs after finding it had bone defects and a BB pellet embedded in one of her paws. The other two cubs are now settling into their rescue habitat with the goal of minimally invasive care to avoid the animals from bonding with humans.

Why did shared parental leave fail in the UK?
Why did shared parental leave fail in the UK?

Yahoo

time2 days ago

  • Yahoo

Why did shared parental leave fail in the UK?

When shared parental leave was introduced in 2015 in the UK, the coalition government described it as a 'radical' policy that would transform the lives of new parents. By sharing up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay, it was touted as a way to narrow the gender pay gap and give dads the opportunity to bond with their babies. A decade on, however, it's difficult to see shared parental leave as anything but a failure. A 2024 study by researchers at the University of Bath, which used data from 40,000 households across the UK, found the scheme hasn't affected the number of fathers taking leave – nor the length of leave they choose to take. In 2023, a government evaluation of shared parental leave found that only 1% of eligible mothers and 5% of fathers took it. Meanwhile, the pay gap between mothers and fathers has grown by 93p per hour since 2020. Sharing maternity leave 'The problem with parental leave is that what it is actually offering is the chance for partners to take a share of the mother's maternity leave, which means that mothers need to reduce their time off for their partner so that they can have more time,' explains Rachel Grocott, CEO of Pregnant Then Screwed. Effectively there is no individual entitlement, only existing maternity leave rights transferred by the mother to the other parent. The effect is to entrench, rather than right, the gender pay gap. Read more: How to stay motivated during a long job hunt But other flexible parental leave schemes around the world have been far more successful. In 2022, for example, Finland reformed its parental leave system to give parents equal amounts of leave. Now, each parent gets a quota of 160 paid days off to be used before the child turns two. As a result, paternity leaves have nearly doubled. 'Other schemes allow for both parents to take a good amount of leave as two parents – it's a real nod of recognition to the value that parents play in a healthy society,' says Grocott. 'In the UK, dads get a measly two weeks of leave, which pales in comparison to other countries. The thing is, other countries have proven the worth of decent shared leave and we're still dragging behind.' Complicated eligibility requirements Another key problem is that shared parental leave is incredibly complex. Eligibility for the scheme is based on the employment status and earnings of both parents. Only employees who have been continuously employed by the same employer for at least 26 weeks can take shared parental leave. Both parents must meet strict criteria related to employment status, income and length of service. They must also coordinate the transfer of unused maternity leave, give specific notices, and submit formal declarations. Read more: Does mental health first aid work? 'It is ridiculously complex,' says George Gabriel, co-founder of The Dad Shift. 'Most people in the UK work for SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and it's just totally unrealistic to expect a pub or gardening business to have the HR capacity needed to get shared parental leave set up.' And, although agency workers and workers on zero-hours contracts may be entitled to shared parental pay, parents who are self-employed or working in the gig economy aren't eligible. Low rates of pay The poor rate of shared parental leave uptake is often placed on the shoulders of men simply not being interested, but this is not the case. For the vast majority of men, shared parental leave is simply not a financially viable option. Maternity, paternity and adoption pay are 43% less than the national living wage – making the UK's parental leave system one of the least generous of all developed countries. 'UK statutory paternity leave is so bad, many families never get a real choice about how they want to share childcare,' says Gabriel. 'In most households, men still earn more on average than their partners, so when it comes to them taking shared parental leave, it's even more expensive for them to take the time off at the measly rate of statutory pay.' Better pay, use it or lose it So, what makes a flexible parental leave policy successful? First and foremost, it must offer adequate pay and include all types of parents, regardless of their employment status. Just as important is individual entitlement – giving fathers and secondary caregivers their own right to well-paid leave. When this leave is non-transferable, each parent has a clear incentive to use it, which leads to higher uptake, especially among fathers. Countries with the highest rates of parental leave uptake among men have shared parental leave policies which are financially supported and ring-fenced. In Sweden and Iceland, which offer non-transferable leave for the father, men's uptake is much higher (about 90%) than it is in Denmark (24%), which doesn't offer it, according to an EU study. Read more: Why the pressure to be liked at work is holding women back 'Maternity Action is calling for an entitlement to six months' maternity leave and an additional six months' parental leave for each parent to be taken flexibly within 18 months of the birth. Also, the government should increase parental pay to the level of the national living wage. "We recognise the government may not be able to deliver all this at once, but we would like to see a plan for phasing in improved parental leave and pay.' Read more: How to speak to your boss about miscarriage How to stay motivated during a long job hunt Does mental health first aid work?Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store