Petition · past parliament

Extend paternity leave from 2 weeks to at least 4

Closed 431 signatures

What the petition asks

2 weeks is not enough time to help with the mother and bond with the baby. 4 weeks should easily be the minimum to give dad's a better chance to bond and give the mother more support.
Men suffer from postnatal depression too. I did, and I went sick for 4 weeks. Having these extra weeks helped me bond with the baby instead of never seeing her due to work. Here's my story:

https://youtu.be/mt-yyjEotE0

This is something that benefits both the mother and the father, and is incredibly important for bonding in the early stages of a babies life.

Timeline

13 Sep 2017 Petition opened for signatures
13 Mar 2018 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 431
Status Closed
Opened 13 Sep 2017
Closed 13 Mar 2018

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.