One in six employeesย are not taking full parental leave when having a child, according to new study by global HR and payroll company Remote.ย They surveyed 6,252 employees and business owners across 11 markets to investigate inclusive parental policies around the world.
- One in three men (32%) are hesitant to take their full parental leave due to fear of stigma surrounding it
- 21% of employers expect mothers to return to work sooner than their full maternity leave lasts
- Out of the 11 countries studied, Canadian companies offer the longest paid leave for new parents, giving nearly 25 weeks of full pay for maternity leave and 22 for paternity leave
- Almost half (49%) of employees would favor a new role based on a company’s inclusive parental policy
- Singapore is the country with the highest cost of childcare at ยฃ480 per month per child
Remote has investigated how inclusive the parental policies are in 11 different countries, looking at the length of maternity, paternity, and adoption leave, and the costs of childcare in each country.
Remote has also spoken to 5,708 full time employees and 544 employers to find out their views on inclusive parental leave and the benefits they can have on businesses and their staff.
Over one in five employers expect women to come back to work sooner than their full maternity leave
When talking to employees, Remote discovered 15% of them donโt take their full parental leave, with 32% of males and 24% of females saying theyโre hesitant to take theirs in full due to the fear of the stigma surrounding it.
Pressure from employers to return could be a contributing factor, with 21% of them saying they expect women to come back to work sooner than their full maternity leave lasts, and 20% of them expecting men to come back before their full paternity leave ends.
When returning to work, 18% of employees said they have been held back from progressing at work since becoming a parent. Women are more likely to lose their opportunities to progress than men, with 21% of women compared to 16% of men saying theyโve been held back.
Canadian businesses named the most generous for parental leave policies
Some companies go above and beyond the required number of weeks off theyโre required to give to their employees when having a child. With 27% of companies offering more paid parental leave than is legally required in the country it is registered.
Despite this, 39% of employees think their company should do more to make their parental policy more inclusive. Remote asked employees in 11 different countries how many weeks of full pay were staff at their organization were allowed to take for different parental leave policies.
Offering an average of 25 weeks of full basic salary when on maternity leave, 22 weeks for paternity leave for different-sex couples, 22 weeks paid paternity leave for same-sex couples and 20 weeks of paid adoption or surrogacy leave, Canada was crowned the best place to have a baby for traditional and non-traditional families going into 2023.
Swedish companies allowed their employees to convert their adoption or maternity leave into shared parental leave for the highest number of weeks with an average of 17 weeks.
In comparison, the average number of weeks taken where full pay was offered in France was much lower. With just 15 weeks maternity leave, 12 weeks paternity leave for different sex couples, 12 weeks paternity leave for same-sex couples, 13 weeks for adoption or surrogacy leave and 7 weeks for converted shared parental leave.
The UK came in third place for its parental leave policies, with UK businesses offering an average of 21 weeks of full pay for maternity leave, 16 weeks of full pay for paternity leave for different-sex couples, 17 weeks paternity leave for same-sex couples, 18 weeks of full paid adoption or surrogacy leave, and 11 weeks for converted shared parental leave.
Singapore is the most expensive country for childcare at ยฃ480 a month per child
Returning to work after having a child means parents then have to find appropriate care for their child whilst theyโre away, which can be expensive and can directlyย affect employees’ decisions to return to work.
Overall, 25% of employees said they struggle to afford childcare costs for their kids when theyโre at work. Remote looked at 11 different countries to discover the most and least expensive places for childcare.
| Rank | Country | Average cost of childcare each month per child | Exchanged to GBP ยฃ | Exchanged to USD $ |
| 1 | Singapore | SG$797.86 | ยฃ480.05 | $583.50 |
| 2 | USA | US$457.33 | ยฃ372.98 | $453.36 |
| 3 | Australia | AU$603.79 | ยฃ331.73 | $403.22 |
| 4 | Canada | CAD$498.85 | ยฃ297.67 | $361.82 |
| 5 | UK | GBPยฃ282.51 | ยฃ282.51 | $343.39 |
Costing SG$797.86 per month for each child, the equivalent of ยฃ480.05, Singapore has the most expensive childcare.
This is followed by the USA with child care costing US$457.33 (ยฃ372.98) each month per child. The UK also features in the top five, with childcare costing an average of ยฃ282.51 for each child per month.
Out of the 11 nations studied, India had the lowest monthly cost per child at just ยฃ49.31 a month, over ยฃ430 less than Singapore.
Almost half of employees would favour a new role with a company offering a inclusive parental policy
Businesses incorporating inclusive parental policies into their companies are attracting and retaining new diverse employees, according to 70% of employers. A further 67% said inclusive parental policies help improve company culture and motivate employees.
Almost half (49%) of employees said theyโd be interested in a new role if a company offered inclusive parental policies, and 47% said they would decline a job offer if the companyโs parental policies didnโt meet their expectations.
You can find the full study done by Remote here.
In the UK one in five quit their job due to poor paternal leave support
