Islington Council Enhances Paternity and Adoption Leave to Six Weeks Fully Paid

Islington Council has approved a significant boost to its paternity and adoption leave policy, increasing it to six weeks fully paid for all eligible employees.

The decision was made during a Council meeting on Thursday, July 2, 2026, where councillors debated and passed a motion to enhance paternity and adoption leave for second parents.

The motion, proposed by Councillor Oliur Rahman BEM and seconded by Councillor Fin Craig, highlighted the benefits of extended paternity leave for family well-being, gender equality, and employee retention. Councillors spoke passionately about the importance of fathers being present in the early days of a child's life.

This policy change is anticipated to strengthen the council's reputation as a modern, family-friendly employer and help address longstanding workforce retention issues, with the motion noting that better paternity leave can improve staff retention, boost morale, and support a more commitment workforce.

Currently, the UK offers some of the weakest statutory paternity leave in Europe: just two weeks at a flat statutory rate of £194.32 per week from 6 April 2026. This is equivalent to around 40% of the national minimum wage. This level of pay is not financially viable for many households, leading to over half of families struggling financially when fathers take leave, and one in five being forced to return to work early.

Research presented during the debate indicated that children with more involved fathers have improved outcomes across education, cognitive development, and emotional well-being. Enabling both parents to take leave together also reduces maternal postnatal depression by 26% and challenges gender stereotypes in parenting.

As part of the resolution, the Council will also write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, urging the government to introduce a national minimum of six weeks' fully paid paternity leave. This advocacy aims to address the current shortcomings in statutory provision, which the council is pushing to see improved nationally.

The motion specifically refers to enhanced paternity leave and adoption leave for second parents and eligible fathers and second parents. It does not explicitly mention shared parental leave within the scope of this particular policy enhancement.