Over 500 companies and organisations in the UK and Ireland responded to this year’s Parental Leave and Family Support Benchmark Survey, sharing insights into their current offerings and their plans for the future. This is the UK report.
Respondents came from all sizes of employer and all sectors,
Executive Summary
Our benchmark has always been highly popular with our client partners – who number over 400 in the UK and Ireland - and with the wider HR community. One of the questions HR professionals ask us is: ‘What does good look like?’ This year we’ve developed a way of showing that in a more at-a-glance format. You’ll find here a model of the infrastructure that supports employee and employer success through the parent transition. Just over 500 organisations took part in our 2023 Parental Leave and Family Support Benchmark.
particularly Banking, Financial Services & Insurance, Manufacturing, Consumer Product and FMCG, Charity & Third Sector, Consultancy, Tech & Fintech, Biotech and Pharmaceuticals, Arts, Culture, Design, Entertainment, Media & Publishing, Education including Higher Education, Law, Construction, Engineering & Infrastructure, among others.
Key Findings
There is a growth in the provision of inclusive family leave not tied to gender or role in parenting. 56% of our sample reported some level of role-inclusive leave.
The most frequently offered inclusive leave is 6 weeks and the average length of inclusive leave is 14 weeks. So, inclusive leave offerings are clustered around 6 weeks, while some much fuller offers push up the overall average.
For maternity/adoption, 26 weeks of fully-paid leave is becoming firmly established as the benchmark in several sectors.
There has been a small drop in the overall proportion of employers reporting enhanced maternity/adoption, paternity or shared parental leave above statutory pay. Our interactive league table offers you an opportunity to benchmark your policy, though we recommend reading the rest of this report first.
There is a consistent pattern of practical supports provided by employers, alongside paid leave, suggesting that their budget is being shared between other offerings – such as coaching, care, phased returns – and the leave itself. We provide at-a-glance models in this report of what popular provisions now cover.
Employers...
Where do you sit?
Solid policy, practice and benefit provisions that are frequently offered by organisations. Are you offering enough to attract and retain your talent or just keeping up with your competition?
You’ve got some of the bases covered but so has everyone else. You’ll risk losing out in the competition for talent if you don’t up your game.
Competitive Edge
Identifying new and evolving policy, practice and benefits which truly drive innovation. These set employers ahead of the competition, enabling them to reap rewards in the jostle for recruitment and retention.
Parental Leave and Family Support Benchmark 2023
These are the minimum requirements for employers.
Leading
Core
Basics
Hover over each step to see more details
This year, we took a further look at ongoing family support (beyond the parent transition) and found employers are paying positive attention across all family life stages. The report shows typical and growing types of support for career and life at each of three distinct stages: expectant and new parents, ongoing parents and carers of adults. We also explore what’s coming in the future and what you, as employers, should do next.
<15% of employers are offering these policies, practices and benefits i.e. fewer than 3 in 20 employers.
30% to 60% of employers are offering these policies, practices and benefits i.e. 3 in 10, to 3 in 5 employers.
15% to 29% of employers are offering these policies, practices and benefits i.e. 3 in 20, to 3 in 10 employers.
>60% of employers are offering these policies, practices and benefits i.e. more than 3 in 5 employers.
Bright Horizons Services
Next Steps
Actions for Employers
Key Trends in Provision of Paid Leave
Wellbeing and Competition for Talent Drive Decisions
Conclusion
Carers
Ongoing Parents
Parent Transition
Your Infrastructure
Employers Where do you sit?
Introduction
Back to top
Download Now
Back-Up Care
Back-Up Care for when usual care arrangements break down
Employers now offering this:
2%
12%
Since 2021
14%
Helplines / Ask an expert service
Helpline
1%
Buddy or mentor schemes for new parents
Buddy scheme
9%
Online or app-based coaching, advice or guidance for managers
Online Manager Training
11%
Formal company-wide scheme for part-time hours on full-time pay during return phase
Part-Time full pay
8%
Advice or support in finding childcare
Advice on finding care
4%
6%
Publication of realistic, real-life 'role model' stories from colleagues
Role Models
3%
5%
Employer-supported onsite or near-site childcare
Childcare Facility
Return to work bonus
Returner bonus
Concierge service to assist with life admin
Concierge
Buddy Scheme
Part-Time Full Pay
Advice on Finding Care
Returner Bonus
15%
Wellbeing services (e.g. antenatal classes, gym, yoga classes)
Wellbeing services
16%
Online or app-based coaching, advice or support for parental leave takers or returners
Online advice
17%
Gift(s)
Gifts
Training and or coaching for managers
Real time manager training
18%
Parents network or similar (events, forum etc.)
Parents network
One-to-one Maternity and or Parental Leave coaching
121 Coaching
19%
Dedicated one-to-one contact in HR
121 HR Support
7%
20%
Group maternity or parental leave coaching
Group coaching
27%
Onsite or virtual GP or nurse
Medical support
13%
29%
At least 26 weeks' fully-paid maternity leave
26+ weeks full pay
31%
A culture of flexible or agile working
Culture encourages flexiblility
36%
Encouragement to individual and manager to explore flexible working
Manager is Flexible
Encouragement of phased return using UK Keeping in Touch (KIT) or Shared Parental Leave in Touch (SPLIT) days in lead-up
Phased Return (KiT Days)
41%
Encouragement of phased return using unused holidays (e.g. one day a week)
Phased return (holidays)
43%
Enhance shared parental leave pay above satatutory
Enhance Shared Parental Leave
56%
Role-inclusive leave
Equal leave
Phased return (Holidays)
Enhance SPL
64%
Enhanced paternity pay above statutory
Enhanced Paternity
67%
Policies accessible during recruitment
Visible policies
72%
Enhanced maternity pay above statutory
Enhanced Maternity
<15% of employers
15% to 29% of employers
30% to 60% of employers
>60% of employers
Unpaid parental leave
Flexible working
Back-up Care
Paid emergency time off
Advice or support in choosing and or accessing universities, apprenticeships or higher education for direct family
Help accessing higher education
Real-time training or coaching for line managers on supporting and retaining ongoing parents
Manager training
Employer-supported onsite childcare provision
Onsite childcare facility
Paid ongoing parental leave (a policy to pay for additional leave for ongoing parents)
Paid ongoing parent leave
Online or app-based coaching, advice or guidance for managers on working parents
Online manager training
Buddy or Mentor schemes for parents
Coaching for employees on combining work and family
Coaching
Online or app-based advice and content for working parents
Employer-supported near-site childcare
Near-site childcare facility
Help accessing schools
Children's Tutoring
Role models
Advice or support in choosing and or accessing schools
Access to tutoring support for employees’ children up to teens
Flexible working (including flexi-time, agile, hybrid/remote working, reduced hours, job sharing and term-time working)
30%
32%
Culture that encourages flexible or agile working
Statutory unpaid emergency time off for family and dependants
Unpaid emergency time off
Helplines or Ask an expert service
24%
Savings on childcare (e.g. salary sacrifice scheme, tuition subsidy etc.)
Savings on ongoing care
25%
Paid emergency time off for family and dependants
Discount schemes
28%
60%
UK Statutory (unpaid) parental leave (4 weeks per year per child to their 18th birthday)
Unpaid Parental Leave
76%
47%
30% to 60% of employer
Advice or support in finding or choosing adult and elder care
Savings on adult or elder care (e.g. access to discounts etc.)
22%
Back-up care for when usual care arrangements break down
Back-up care
Savings on Ongoing Care
Buddy or mentor schemes for carers
Training or coaching for managers on supporting and retaining carers
Paid carer’s leave
Paid carers leave
Online or app-based advice and or content
Other unpaid carer’s leave
Unpaid leave
One-to-one or group coaching for carers
Carers network
The competitive edge of provision includes dedicated carers networks, one-to-one coaching and access to online or app-based advice. Paid leave and training for managers are also in use among employers looking for a competitive edge. There is also some use of realistic ‘role model’ stories and buddy schemes as well as concierge services to provide practical support with life admin needs.
More leading provision for carers moves into the territory of paid-for time off, access to helplines / ask an expert and provision of back-up care for when usual care breaks down or when new needs arise. Leading employers also provide access to savings on ongoing adult/elder care as well as advice and support in finding care.
Core support for those who care for other adults or elders includes flexible working along with the right to unpaid time off for dependants.
Flexible working is the bedrock for carers.
Basic
Many employers also promote the statutory right to unpaid time off for dependants, closely followed by providing backup care for care provision gaps; which can be filled by a nanny, childminder, holiday club or a day at a nursery.
More leading provision for ongoing parents includes discount schemes, paid emergency time off, and employer-sponsored childcare savings. There is also a competitive advantage in offering helplines or ask an expert services as well as parents’ networks.
The top of the pyramid for ongoing parents sees offerings including employer-supported near-site or onsite childcare, online and app-based advice for parents and their managers, coaching on combining work and family, buddy schemes and advice on finding childcare. There is also a growing number of employers investing in advice on finding or accessing schools, universities or apprenticeships and the provision of tutoring for children and young people.
The basics for the ongoing parent journey include flexible working and access to unpaid statutory parental leave.
Many employers now also provide gender-inclusive, family-role-inclusive leave, and support for phased returns, particularly using accrued holidays. There is a widespread culture of flexibility, supported by managers, though this has shrunk since 2021, suggesting a competitive edge can be found in offering more flexibility.
App-based guidance for managers. Buddy/mentor schemes. Advice on finding childcare. Back-up care (or care gap cover) provision as well as onsite or near-site childcare support, both of which are growing and mark out the employer as leading edge.
The basics for successful parental leave transitions include enhancing maternity and paternity leave above statutory and ensuring your policies are visible to new hires.
Several other offerings remain stable among competitive edge provisions:
Access to an ‘ask an expert’ helpline is a promising area.
Leading provision now includes at least 26 weeks’ fully-paid leave. App-based advice is increasingly coupled with access to a coach or guide in order to keep up with growth areas. Access to medical advice. Group or one-to-one coaching through the parent transition. Training for managers.
Growth areas marking out the employer committed to a successful transition:
In Summary:
Culture encourages flexibility
more details
This year, the need to compete in attracting and retaining talented people stands out as the primary driver for decisions about parental leave policies (57%), some way ahead of other aims. Not surprisingly, in light of the move to more inclusive leave policies across genders and family roles, supporting working fathers is next (43%), closely followed by the aim to close the gender pay gap and supporting the younger generation, both at 42%. Diversity and inclusion are favoured as a reason by 4 in 10. Those who selected ‘Other’ gave reasons such as having signed an industry body pledge. In 2021, the top three drivers were similar (talent retention, working fathers, younger generation). In 2023, the Gender Pay Gap has, interestingly, risen to level pegging with the younger generation. When asked what employers will do next (see Next Steps), many are focusing on provisions that equalise leave which addresses the gender pay gap by levelling the playing field, enabling fathers to focus on caring and mothers potentially to return sooner, if they choose to, when leave is shared.
Four Key Trends in the Provision of Paid Leave
This chart tracks employers reporting paid leave above statutory in our benchmark since 2017. The overall proportion of employers enhancing statutory pay appears to have fallen, following a high point in 2021. The question is why? Has attention shifted from enhancing maternity pay towards providing for a fuller, inclusive leave, directed at all genders and roles in parenting? Or is this reduction in enhanced statutory pay a negative trend in its own right?
57%
42%
40%
33%
Staying competitive in the battle to attract and retain talent
Being inclusive of and supporting working fathers or partners
A focus on closing our Gender Pay Gap
Retaining / Supporting our younger generation workforce as they reach the parenting life stage
Supporting diversity and inclusion
Supporting wellbeing
Parity of pay and benefits across EMEA / wider regions
Other
What is happening in levels of paid leave overall?
To benchmark your own provision, review our interactive league table of leave policies.
2017
2019
2021
2023
0%
100%
Employer Enhancing Leave
Maternity (inc. Adoption & Surrogacy) Leave Pay
Paternity or Partner Leave Pay
Shared Parental Leave Pay
48%
44%
68%
79%
77%
1
2
There are some sectors (such as Banking, Law, Biotech) in which enhanced pay is a clear expectation and without it, talented employees would simply choose other employers offering a better level of enhancement. The data here also reveal a rise in employers providing 26 weeks or more of enhanced leave. So, while slightly fewer are enhancing paid leave overall, for those who are enhancing, the most popular policy is 26 weeks. Therefore, in sectors where enhanced paid leave is a core part of the competitive edge, the starting point would be half a year plus.
3
In some other sectors, the growth in employers enhancing paid leave appears to have flattened. In Education including Higher Education, only 40% enhance paid leave; just 46% do so in Charity / Third Sector organisations; and 57% in Construction, Engineering and Infrastructure.
At the same time, employers are increasing some of the wider supports provided, such as medical care or coaching, phased returns, childcare, back-up care and manager training. This appears to be a time when employers are thinking more broadly about what true support for career and family looks like.
4
Four Key Trends
Use this Benchmark to Generate Positive Impact for Your People and Business
Consider your goals:
2.
Decide whether your corporate aspiration is simply to cover the basic requirements, be a leading employer or at the growing edge, driving best practice.
What all-round gains can you achieve with a well-managed parent transition and with supports for ongoing parents and carers?
Identify what will be better in your organisation when parents and carers are more fully supported.
Build your business case
Having clarified your purpose and aim, measure the expected impact of your actions in order to secure funding.
To help with this, we have two handy infographics. One is based on knowing that organisations we partner with have seen their maternity /parental leave return rates climb 12 to 14 percentage points. This can save upwards of £150,000 per year in recruitment costs alone, based on a modest calculation.
Our online and offline coaching programmes typically see employers' return rates rise by 12 - 14 percentage points. If you increase the averate return rate from 77% to 90%, 5 or 6 more people will return.
'This could save you well over £150K in recruitment costs per annum'
In an organisation of 1,000 employees, typically around 4% will take maternity leave in a year. That's 40 people.
It costs upwards of £30K to replace a non-returner.
7% return on average.
So around 30 out of 40 people will return.
Measure Your Savings and Impact
In addition to calculating your likely savings, explore other gains in terms of your people culture and value proposition.
The other infographic for your business case below is from our 2023 UK Work+Family Snapshot: our annual survey of our clients’ employees. This shows the positive impact of two types of family support: employer-sponsored childcare and back-up care. There are strong, measurable impacts in wellbeing, productivity, engagement, loyalty and more.
Using Back-Up Care
Positive impact from
Employer Sponsored Childcare
Agreed:
positive impact on productivity
more likely to recommend employer to others
more likely to stay with my employer
positively impacts overall wellbeing
makes it easier to do my job
more able to pursue or accept a higher position with my employer
easier to return to work after the birth or adoption of a child
78%
50%
62%
83%
91%
89%
Enhanced or further enhanced Shared Parental Leave
Enhanced or further enhanced Paternity Leave pay
Gender-inclusive / equal enhanced pay & leave (e.g. not shared leave, for either partner independant of gender / parenting role)
Enhanced or further enhanced Maternity / Adoption / Surrogacy pay
Parents network or similar
More support around return specifically in light of remote or hybrid working
Back-Up Care / Emergency care provision (e.g. for when usual arrangements break down)
Training / Coaching for their managers
Develop a culture that encourages flexible / agile working
Buddy Schemes for new parents
Publication of realistic ‘role model’ stories
1:1 Maternity / Parental leave coaching
Online / App based coaching, advice or guidance for parental leave takers/returners
Group Maternity / Parental leave coaching
Online / App based coaching, advice or guidance for managers on this
Employer supported near-site childcare
Employer supported onsite childcare
Implement Your Strategy
Start with the end in mind
1.
Cross check against the chart below on what other employers are planning to implement in the next 12 months: in which areas do you need to get ahead?
Note the proportion of employers in our survey who already do those things: add this to your business case internally.
Note which supports, from the three infrastructure models, you already have in place and highlight those you would like to introduce.
Plan your supports
3.
What are employers considering next?
Now implement, using your business case to gain support; and ensure you measure success.
We monitor and evaluate our service provision through ongoing employee and client feedback to ensure its quality and positive impact. We provide our clients with access to live usage and engagement analytics.
We have a strong commitment to corporate sustainability and, through our registered charity the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children, we work to transform the lives of children and families in crisis.
We have been consistently recognised as a UK Best Workplace by the Great Place to Work Institute every year since 2006.
We look forward to always delivering the best for our clients, families and our own employees.
For over 30 years, Bright Horizons has been supporting the evolving needs of working families. Through bespoke family care solutions, we are helping employers to anticipate the challenges facing their employees and equip them with the tools they need to thrive. From workplace nurseries and hybrid worker solutions to back-up care when your employees need it most, our work and family solutions enhance your ability to attract and retain key talent, giving your teams the peace of mind and confidence to do their best work. At Bright Horizons, we are always looking forward, creating and developing solutions to help businesses succeed and create a happier, more efficient and profitable workforce. With operations in the US, UK, India, Australia and the Netherlands, we’ve a wealth of experience in supporting multi-national clients.
Think global services
?
We provide holistic solutions to the challenges facing parents and carers in the workplace today. These include comprehensive care services, coaching and development provision, digital resources, family network events, and manager/ organisational guidance. They address the practical, emotional and cultural needs of organisations and individuals. What we offer is good for employers and good for employees. Everybody wins.
How we do it
We help to increase our clients’ employee wellbeing, engagement and productivity, supporting career progression and improving recruitment and retention of talented and diverse workforces.
About Bright Horizons
How can Bright Horizons help you to implement your strategy?
Working with over 400 of the UK’s leading organisations, we offer a diverse range of supports for employers of working families, enabling everyone to be their best at work while supporting organisations to achieve their strategic goals.
Our continually evolving solutions enable our clients to be at the growing edge of employee supports. They include those listed below.
Coaching & Development Solutions to help businesses retain and develop employees through life’s big transitions, including the parent transition and becoming a carer – supporting your people to thrive at work and at home
Coaching and Development
Workplace Nurseries, providing parents with reassuringly high-quality and convenient care at or near their workplace
Workplace Nurseries
Nursery Partnerships, which can save employees 30% on nursery fees at no cost to their employer
Nursery Partnership
Parental Leave Toolkit, our unique digital coaching solution for new parents and the managers who support them
Parental Leave Toolkit
Work+Family Space, an easily searchable hub of information, resources and advice on a wide range of work and family topics
Work+Family Space
One to one Virtual Tutoring in Maths and English for children (ages 4-16 years) accessible though the Back-Up Care benefit
Virtual Tutoring
Our award-winning Back-Up Care network, which saves our clients over 100,000 days in productivity each year
Our family services includes:
Our History
A Parnter, Provider and Employer of Choice
Want to find out where you stand in your sector?
Ask us for our employer solutions benchmarking service today.
Hover over our services to discover more
Email
This year, the need to compete in attracting and retaining talented people stands out as the primary driver for decisions about parental leave policies (57%), some way ahead of other aims. Not surprisingly, in light of the move to more inclusive leave policies across genders and family roles, supporting working fathers is next (43%), closely followed by the aim to close the gender pay gap and supporting the younger generation, both at 42%. Diversity and inclusion are favoured as a reason by 4 in 10. Those who selected ‘Other’ gave reasons such as having signed an industry body pledge. In 2021, the top three drivers were the same (talent retention, working fathers, younger generation). In 2023, the Gender Pay Gap has, interestingly, risen to level pegging with the younger generation. When asked what employers will do next (see px), many are focusing on provisions that equalise leave which addresses the gender pay gap by levelling the playing field, enabling fathers to focus on caring and mothers potentially to return sooner, if they choose to, when leave is shared.
The chart below tracks employers reporting paid leave above statutory in our benchmark since 2017. The overall proportion of employers enhancing statutory pay appears to have fallen, following a high point in 2021. The question is why? Has attention shifted from enhancing maternity pay towards providing for a fuller, inclusive leave, directed at all genders and roles in parenting? Or is this reduction in enhanced statutory pay a negative trend in its own right?
Conclusion 1
Take a look
In some other sectors, the growth in employers enhancing paid leave appears to have flattened. In Education including Higher Education, only 40% enhance paid leave, just 46% do so in Charity / Third Sector organisations and 57% in Construction, Engineering and Infrastructure.
4.
4 Key Trends in the Provision of Paid Leave
Action for Employers
for Ongoing Parents
for Carers
for the Parent Transition
