The results of an opinion poll carried out in March/April 2003 across the then 15 members of the EU have been published in a report entitled Europeans' Attitudes to Parental Leave. It was carried out at the request of the Directorate-General Employment and Social Affairs. The EU directive on parental leave was passed in 1996 and was introduced in the UK on 15 December 1999.

The main factors deterring fathers from staying at home to look after a new baby or a small child were:

• unable to afford to take parental leave (18%)
• insufficient financial compensation (42%)
• careers would be affected (31%)
• did not want to interrupt their careers (21%)
• not enough information about parental leave (34%)
• parental leave is more for women (19 %)
• "stuck at home and have less social life" (10%)

The survey identifies factors that would encourage men to take up the right to parental leave:

• more financial compensation (38%)
• better guarantees in respect of their job or career during or after the period of parental leave (30%)
• better information (27%)
• a more open mind towards parental leave from superiors and colleagues (23%)
• splitting the leave or taking part-time leave (18%).

Some notable results from parents polled in the UK were:

• 44% said that they had more than one child, compared with 33% overall
• 4% said that their wife/partner would take up the entire period of parental leave, compared with 8% overall
• 60% said that getting more financial compensation during the period of leave would be the main factor, compared with 38% overall
• 33% said that a more open-minded attitude towards parental leave from superiors and colleagues at work would encourage fathers to take parental leave, compared with 23% overall
• 46% said that there was not enough information about parental leave, compared with 34% overall.

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...back to 17 September 2004


Sources:
europa.eu.int/comm/....htm
europa.eu.int/....pdf