Latest news with #NuggetSavings
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'Dad strike' as UK's paternity leave worst in Europe
As traditional gender roles around parenting shift, the UK's outdated parental leave system is falling behind. British fathers get the worst deal in Europe, with just two weeks off at pay that amounts to less than half the minimum wage. In a bid to demand change, fathers in the UK will host the world's first-ever 'dad strike' in June. Organised by the campaign group the Dad Shift, fathers and non-birthing parents across the UK will request time off from work to protest outside government buildings in London and Edinburgh, calling for stronger and fairer parental leave policies. Offering adequate paternity leave isn't just a nice-to-have. Enabling fathers and partners to spend time with their children in the first year of life has been shown to improve the mental and physical health of mothers, narrow the gender gap and improve educational outcomes for children. Paid leave also helps parents share the responsibilities of childcare more equally, leading to lasting benefits for mothers' careers, health and overall wellbeing. Despite this, new fathers in the UK are entitled to only two weeks' paternity leave at £187.18 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings– whichever is lower. This is less than half of the national living wage for a standard 35-hour working week. Read more: How inadequate maternity leave harms mothers' wellbeing Comparatively, Norway gives fathers 15 weeks of parental leave, paid at more than 90% of the average salary, while parents in Sweden are given 480 days of paid parental leave between them at up to 80% of their salary. In Lithuania, fathers are entitled to 30 days of paid paternity leave, paid at 77.58% of their salary. So why is paternity leave so poor in Britain – and what will it take for the UK to catch up with the rest of Europe? "This isn't about our values as a country – this is a problem of political inaction,' says Alex Lloyd Hunter, co-founder of the Dad Shift. 'Ninety per cent of fathers agree that 'dads today want to be a bigger part of their kids' lives,' and 82% of people believe it's better when both parents have equal opportunities to be involved in childcare. Our ideas about parenting have evolved like their countries, but our policies haven't.' In April, it emerged that the promised 'day one' right to paternity leave would not include the right to statutory pay under Labour's flagship employment rights bill. So for dads to be eligible for paternity pay, they will still need to have worked for the same employer for at least six months up to the 'qualifying week' – 15 weeks before the baby is due. Self-employed fathers are locked out of any kind of financial support entirely. Harriet Morton-Liddle, co-founder of Nugget Savings, a platform that campaigns for parental leave transparency, says Britain's approach to paternity leave reflects a legacy of outdated assumptions about who should care for children. 'Statutory paternity leave wasn't introduced until 2003 and in the 20 years since there have been no meaningful changes beyond minor tweaks to flexibility,' she says. 'Even the language on the government website reveals how fathers are still viewed. It states that you may be eligible for leave 'because your partner's having a baby' not 'because you're becoming a parent'. That one line captures the problem that fathers are seen as supporting actors, not equal parents.' So far, broad policy efforts to increase paternal leave uptake, like shared parental leave introduced in 2015, have largely fallen short. When economists at the University of Bath and Cardiff University examined data from 40,000 households across the UK last year, they found shared leave hasn't affected the number of fathers taking leave, nor has it allowed fathers to take longer leave. International evidence shows that if we want fathers to take on more caregiving responsibilities, they need their own dedicated leave – paid at a level that makes it financially feasible. In 2022, Finland overhauled its parental leave system, giving each parent an equal share: 160 days of paid leave to be used before the child's second birthday. Since then, the number of fathers taking paternity leave has nearly doubled. Offering similar in the UK could reform how we take – and think about – parental leave, bringing benefits for all parents, children and even employers. Regardless of what couples want, the current system means mothers are forced to become primary caregivers by default. 'One parent told us, 'we woke up one day and found ourselves in the 1950s',' says Hunter. 'This in turn means many women lose out in their careers or face discrimination at work, with the 'motherhood penalty' now accounting for up to 75% of the gender pay gap.' Currently, fathers aren't given a fair opportunity to bond with their children during their early years. Instead, they're forced to make an impossible choice between keeping their family afloat financially or being present for them. 'Fathers miss out on precious time bonding with their babies and supporting their partners' recovery from childbirth,' says Dr Jeremy Davies, deputy CEO & head of impact and communications at the Fatherhood Institute. 'Children, mothers and fathers themselves also lose out from lost opportunities for fathers to become skilled and equal caregivers throughout the baby's first year – which is when ongoing caring patterns are set, and father-child relationships built,' he adds. 'This has implications for children's emotional and learning outcomes in the longer term.' And arguments that adequate paternity leave harms employers simply don't stand up. A 2023 qualitative study suggests offering fathers their own protected, paid leave would benefit their mental health, which in turn would likely boost morale, job satisfaction and retention. Read more: This is why more employers are introducing their own enhanced paternity leave policies, says Hunter. 'It's good business – the idea that someone can return to work after just two weeks, sleep-deprived and with their life completely turned upside down, and be 100% productive is a complete fantasy,' he explains. 'What happens instead is that fathers struggle in silence, and their mental health often suffers dramatically.' Read more: How to speak to your boss about a women's health issue But, with only larger companies financially able to offer enhanced parental leave policies, a two-tier system is emerging. Employees at big firms may benefit from better-paid leave, while those working for smaller employers, or who are self-employed, are left with limited or no support. 'That's why government action is essential to ensure every father gets decent leave, not just those lucky enough to work for progressive employers,' says Hunter. Whether the structural changes needed to fix the problem are put in place remains to be seen. But right now, paternity leave is treated as an optional extra – not a basic right. 'It is completely out of step with how families live and work today,' says Lucy Kemp, Future of Work and employee experience expert. 'When men are not supported to take time off, it reinforces the idea that childcare is a women's issue. That makes it harder for mothers to return and thrive at work. The best employers are the ones who treat parental leave as a core part of their culture, not a tick-box exercise.' Read more: Five questions you shouldn't be asked in a job interview How to manage 'time blindness' at work if you have ADHD Can body doubling make us more productive at work?Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'Dad strike' as UK's paternity leave worst in Europe
As traditional gender roles around parenting shift, the UK's outdated parental leave system is falling behind. British fathers get the worst deal in Europe, with just two weeks off at pay that amounts to less than half the minimum wage. In a bid to demand change, fathers in the UK will host the world's first-ever 'dad strike' in June. Organised by the campaign group the Dad Shift, fathers and non-birthing parents across the UK will request time off from work to protest outside government buildings in London and Edinburgh, calling for stronger and fairer parental leave policies. Offering adequate paternity leave isn't just a nice-to-have. Enabling fathers and partners to spend time with their children in the first year of life has been shown to improve the mental and physical health of mothers, narrow the gender gap and improve educational outcomes for children. Paid leave also helps parents share the responsibilities of childcare more equally, leading to lasting benefits for mothers' careers, health and overall wellbeing. Despite this, new fathers in the UK are entitled to only two weeks' paternity leave at £187.18 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings– whichever is lower. This is less than half of the national living wage for a standard 35-hour working week. Read more: How inadequate maternity leave harms mothers' wellbeing Comparatively, Norway gives fathers 15 weeks of parental leave, paid at more than 90% of the average salary, while parents in Sweden are given 480 days of paid parental leave between them at up to 80% of their salary. In Lithuania, fathers are entitled to 30 days of paid paternity leave, paid at 77.58% of their salary. So why is paternity leave so poor in Britain – and what will it take for the UK to catch up with the rest of Europe? "This isn't about our values as a country – this is a problem of political inaction,' says Alex Lloyd Hunter, co-founder of the Dad Shift. 'Ninety per cent of fathers agree that 'dads today want to be a bigger part of their kids' lives,' and 82% of people believe it's better when both parents have equal opportunities to be involved in childcare. Our ideas about parenting have evolved like their countries, but our policies haven't.' In April, it emerged that the promised 'day one' right to paternity leave would not include the right to statutory pay under Labour's flagship employment rights bill. So for dads to be eligible for paternity pay, they will still need to have worked for the same employer for at least six months up to the 'qualifying week' – 15 weeks before the baby is due. Self-employed fathers are locked out of any kind of financial support entirely. Harriet Morton-Liddle, co-founder of Nugget Savings, a platform that campaigns for parental leave transparency, says Britain's approach to paternity leave reflects a legacy of outdated assumptions about who should care for children. 'Statutory paternity leave wasn't introduced until 2003 and in the 20 years since there have been no meaningful changes beyond minor tweaks to flexibility,' she says. 'Even the language on the government website reveals how fathers are still viewed. It states that you may be eligible for leave 'because your partner's having a baby' not 'because you're becoming a parent'. That one line captures the problem that fathers are seen as supporting actors, not equal parents.' So far, broad policy efforts to increase paternal leave uptake, like shared parental leave introduced in 2015, have largely fallen short. When economists at the University of Bath and Cardiff University examined data from 40,000 households across the UK last year, they found shared leave hasn't affected the number of fathers taking leave, nor has it allowed fathers to take longer leave. International evidence shows that if we want fathers to take on more caregiving responsibilities, they need their own dedicated leave – paid at a level that makes it financially feasible. In 2022, Finland overhauled its parental leave system, giving each parent an equal share: 160 days of paid leave to be used before the child's second birthday. Since then, the number of fathers taking paternity leave has nearly doubled. Offering similar in the UK could reform how we take – and think about – parental leave, bringing benefits for all parents, children and even employers. Regardless of what couples want, the current system means mothers are forced to become primary caregivers by default. 'One parent told us, 'we woke up one day and found ourselves in the 1950s',' says Hunter. 'This in turn means many women lose out in their careers or face discrimination at work, with the 'motherhood penalty' now accounting for up to 75% of the gender pay gap.' Currently, fathers aren't given a fair opportunity to bond with their children during their early years. Instead, they're forced to make an impossible choice between keeping their family afloat financially or being present for them. 'Fathers miss out on precious time bonding with their babies and supporting their partners' recovery from childbirth,' says Dr Jeremy Davies, deputy CEO & head of impact and communications at the Fatherhood Institute. 'Children, mothers and fathers themselves also lose out from lost opportunities for fathers to become skilled and equal caregivers throughout the baby's first year – which is when ongoing caring patterns are set, and father-child relationships built,' he adds. 'This has implications for children's emotional and learning outcomes in the longer term.' And arguments that adequate paternity leave harms employers simply don't stand up. A 2023 qualitative study suggests offering fathers their own protected, paid leave would benefit their mental health, which in turn would likely boost morale, job satisfaction and retention. Read more: This is why more employers are introducing their own enhanced paternity leave policies, says Hunter. 'It's good business – the idea that someone can return to work after just two weeks, sleep-deprived and with their life completely turned upside down, and be 100% productive is a complete fantasy,' he explains. 'What happens instead is that fathers struggle in silence, and their mental health often suffers dramatically.' Read more: How to speak to your boss about a women's health issue But, with only larger companies financially able to offer enhanced parental leave policies, a two-tier system is emerging. Employees at big firms may benefit from better-paid leave, while those working for smaller employers, or who are self-employed, are left with limited or no support. 'That's why government action is essential to ensure every father gets decent leave, not just those lucky enough to work for progressive employers,' says Hunter. Whether the structural changes needed to fix the problem are put in place remains to be seen. But right now, paternity leave is treated as an optional extra – not a basic right. 'It is completely out of step with how families live and work today,' says Lucy Kemp, Future of Work and employee experience expert. 'When men are not supported to take time off, it reinforces the idea that childcare is a women's issue. That makes it harder for mothers to return and thrive at work. The best employers are the ones who treat parental leave as a core part of their culture, not a tick-box exercise.' Read more: Five questions you shouldn't be asked in a job interview How to manage 'time blindness' at work if you have ADHD Can body doubling make us more productive at work?
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why single parents are being left behind at work — and how to support them
You've just had the dreaded call from school. Your child has a temperature and needs to be picked up. You can easily work from home, but your boss isn't happy about it. But, what else can you do? As a single parent, the buck stops with you. A quarter of families in the UK are headed up by a single parent, with 90% of those being single mothers. Yet more often than not, their needs are overlooked by employers. According to a survey by Single Parent Rights, 81% of single parents want their employers to better understand the challenges they face and 87% need more flexibility. Alarmingly, 35% of full-time employed single parents were working below their skill level due to a lack of flexible work and lack of affordable childcare. 'Most employers still have a traditional two-person household in mind when they think about the working parents in their workforce, which can lead to policies where the challenges of single parents are overlooked,' says Katie Guild, co-founder of Nugget Savings, a platform that campaigns for parental leave transparency and helps people financially plan for parenthood. Although flexible working became the norm during the Covid-19 lockdowns, many employers are gradually back-peddling on flexible policies. In 2023, jobs advertised with flexible working terms drop to 5.4%, the lowest they've been since 2020. Read more: The problem with forcing employees to list workplace achievements Some of the biggest companies in the world — Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), Disney (DIS), Google (GOOG), Zoom (ZM), and Meta (META), to name but a few — have mandated that employees return to the office. Reasons include "boosting productivity" and "increasing collaboration", but the corporate crackdown is pushing single parents out of work or into lower-paying, less fulfilling roles. 'Often, there is an assumption that there is 'someone else' to manage the childcare,' says Guild. 'For single parents, when their wage drops to statutory maternity pay or the unpaid portion of maternity leave, there is no-one to pick up that financial slack. 'They have to take on roles because of their flexibility, not because they align with their career goals or indeed skills, which can hinder career progression, productivity and wage potential,' she adds. 'The cost of childcare is also exorbitant for single parents, and the government childcare schemes punish high earning single parents more than two parent households.' Single parents also face stigma, which can lead to them being unfairly branded as unreliable or less committed than working parents who are in couples. Louise Webster, founder of Beyond the School Run, a platform connecting mothers with their skills and talents, adds that empathy is also essential. It's a fact of life that kids pick up a plethora of viruses at childcare, so employers need to be understanding if a parent has to pick them up — or becomes unwell more frequently themselves. 'Creating a workplace culture that acknowledges these realities fosters loyalty and productivity,' says Webster. Firstly, it's essential to acknowledge and understand the systemic issues they face, says Emily Trant, chief impact officer at Wagestream, a financial wellbeing app. 'There is a persistent, outdated view that childcare and family responsibilities are women's responsibilities, and therefore not a business concern,' she says. 'There's also a lack of understanding of the sheer complexity of managing work and solo parenting.' Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach to support, employers need to offer truly flexible options that go beyond working from home. Workplace structures have historically been designed around full-time working hours, but part-time roles, job shares and compressed hours can pay off for everyone. Workers access flexibility and opportunities for career progression and higher-paid work, while employers benefit from a more diverse workforce, better retention of talented staff and ultimately, a stronger bottom line. Read more: Does AI mean less pay for workers? 'Employers could also give workers more autonomy over scheduling and allow employees to manage their own shifts and work around their family needs,' says Trant. 'They need to avoid demanding instant availability and consider the real-life constraints of single parents. Additionally, cross-training employees can provide opportunities for skill development to enable flexible roles.' Single parents have less financial and practical flexibility than couple parents, so offering paid leave for child illnesses and emergencies can be a huge help. 'Support networks also play a vital role,' says Webster. 'The saying 'it takes a village to raise a child' is even more relevant for single parents. Employers can help by providing access to childcare options, internal support networks, and peer communities where parents can share insights and advice.' And as children grow and parents gain more free time, employers who support parent-friendly policies stand to benefit. 'Employers that prioritise these initiatives will not only retain valuable talent but also tap into the potential of a highly motivated and productive workforce,' says Trant. 'This isn't merely about social responsibility — it's a smart business strategy.' Read more: Is it ever worth revenge quitting your job? What is career catfishing and why is it on the rise? Why some leaders infantilise their workers
Sky News
10-03-2025
- General
- Sky News
'Common error' could leave thousands of women out of pocket in pensions
Thousands of British women could be missing significant sums from their pension due to a "common error" made by their employers while on maternity leave. When a woman goes on mat leave, their employer should continue to make pension contributions based on their full salary. However, women have reported their contributions have been wrongly changed to match their lower mat leave income. Women who spoke to Sky News reported missing anywhere from a few hundred to £4,000 in their pension pots. Advocacy group Nugget Savings shared data with Money after surveying 236 women about their pension contributions while on maternity leave. More than 100 had found discrepancies, and while some have been repaid the money after raising it with their HR department, others have not. It is not clear how widespread the issue is, but Katie Guild, co-founder of Nugget Savings, said: "We're concerned we have just scratched the surface of this issue. This error could have started as far back as auto-enrolment in 2012, therefore affecting potentially millions of women." More than half a million women take maternity leave each year and a pension mis-payment of just a few hundred pounds loses the chance to earn compound interest over the following decades, exacerbating the existing gender pension gap, which sees the average woman retire with a pension pot 55% smaller than the average man's. Katie said: "Some were successful in recouping their lost pension contributions. "Others faced resistance from their employers who said too much time had passed to fix the error or the employers still believed that they had contributed correctly to their pensions." Problems are 'tip of the iceberg' MP Stella Creasy expressed concern to Sky News about these discrepancies. "The problems women have with pensions and their maternity leave are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to why millions of older women end up destitute," she said. "When employers write women off because they have children they don't just harm their careers, they consign them to poverty in old age too. "With women living longer and forming a larger proportion of the older workforce, it's time we committed not just to ending the gender pay gap but the gender pensions gap too." 'No apology or explanation' One mum of two, who works in marketing and asked to remain anonymous, said she was missing £4,000 in her pension pot. The amount was eventually repaid by her employer after she flagged it with them. But she said there was "no apology of explanation", and she was not compensated for the loss of interest - her pension is currently at 7% growth, meaning she has lost out on hundreds of pounds in interest. "Given how tough working mums have it at the moment, combined with increasing financial pressures and extortionate childcare costs, I'm disheartened that a big corporate company has chosen to leave me out of pocket due to a technical issue out of my control," she said. Chloe, 29, a mother of two, said her employer underpaid her by £717.22 while on maternity leave from her role in the aviation industry. She raised the issue and was eventually repaid. She said her employer was not apologetic and expected the software to calculate it automatically. Sam, also a mum of two, was missing £1,400 - she had to get her union involved to recover the money. "I ended up working out the calculations for the missing contributions myself and estimating what their growth would have been over the year - around 10%," she said. "I eventually was offered a repayment and something like 0.4% interest. I challenged this and got the 10%." She said her finance director personally apologised to her and thanked her for identifying the issue. "It turned out to be a longstanding mistake and they were going to identify everyone impacted and restore missed contributions," she said. How it works in practice - an example... A woman pays 5% of her salary into her pension pot, a total of £200 of her paycheque. Her employer matches this and also pays £200. This means £400 goes into her pension pot each month. While on maternity leave, the woman's pay drops and now she pays £100 into her pension pot because the percentage is based on her actual pay received. However, her employer should continue to pay the full £200 as if she had not taken the leave. This means £300 goes into her pension each month. Why many won't even know they're missing out Not all women have been repaid. One mother, who was missing around £250 from six months of maternity leave, said her employer told her they would "look into it" but has yet to repay the shortfall. "I feel let down as I have had other errors with my maternity pay," she said. "It is challenging enough raising a newborn without having to go through payslips with a fine tooth comb to check for errors. It's tiring having to chase things up and it all feels very unfair." Harriet Morton-Liddle, co-founder of Nugget Savings, said the organisation had tried to discover why advice on pension contributions during maternity leave was not more clear. "We contacted HMRC, The Pensions Regulator and Citizens Advice and even submitted FOI requests but still had no straight answer regarding the correct procedure that should be followed for employers or employees," she said. Much of the online advice was "contradictory", she said, which means many employers may not even realise they are making mistakes. "We want to raise awareness for the women across the UK who could be impacted but might not even realise it yet, so they can rightfully claim back money that belongs in their pension pots," she said. How to tell if you have been affected You need to check with your workplace pension provider - there is usually an online portal to do this, although the amounts contributed may be listed on your paycheque (but it may just list your own contributions). Your pension provider should also send you an annual statement, outlining how much you and your employer have both contributed. Check the amounts paid by your employer - both before and after you took maternity leave - are they same? If they have decreased, you may have been underpaid. What the pension regulator said When Sky News contacted the pension regulator, Catherine Nicholson, interim director of automatic enrolment, said: "Some employers are making common errors by skipping important steps in respect of calculating pensions contributions and communications to staff. These errors include miscalculating contributions for staff receiving maternity pay." It said it has recovered more than £700m in missing contributions owed since 2012, but did not have specific figures related to mis-paid pensions while on maternity leave. The Pension Ombudsman said it did not have any data on this, but said: "We have not seen an increase in complaints stemming from this issue." It added: "All occupational pension schemes must operate an IDRP (Internal Dispute Resolution Process). If they remain unhappy with the response after the IDRP process they are able to submit a complaint to TPO, we act impartially, and our service is free." How problem makes gender pay gap worse The missing money could exacerbate the existing gender pay gap. According to Legal and General, the average UK pension pot for men is £84,205. The average woman has less than half of this saved, at £39,654. Research shows the difference in savings begins right at the start of people's careers - the initial gap stands at 16% but can double by the time women reach their 40s. By the time they retire, on average, a woman's pension pot is 55% smaller than a man's. The reasons for this are varied and complex - women are still paid less, and are less likely to be in senior leadership positions, resulting in lower pension contributions. They are also more likely to take career breaks to care for children or work part-time and reduced hours. Women are also more likely to waive their right to a partner's pension after a divorce, according to Legal and General, despite being entitled to a portion of their husband's private pension wealth.
