NHBF responds to Labour’s proposal to increase paternity leave and pay

In response to Labour’s proposal to increase paternity leave and pay, NHBF president Paul Curry said:

No one, of course, begrudges fathers paid time off with a new baby; it is only right fathers as well as mothers are given the time and space to bond with their child. 

But for small hairdressing salons and especially barber shops that often have predominantly male employees, Labour leader Ed Miliband’s proposal to double the length of paternity leave and increase paternity pay would be a heavy additional burden.

Small businesses often struggle as it is to cope with the costs of maternity and paternity leave, both the direct financial costs and the cost of covering for the absent staff member.

Salons and barber shops are already facing increased costs because of the arrival of pensions auto-enrolment over the next two years and changes to how apprenticeships will be funded, with employers being expected to contribute to the cost of training.

The introduction this year of shared parental leave also already gives fathers greater opportunity to spend more time with a new arrival. Mr Miliband’s proposal is unnecessary in the current economic climate.