Father entitled to enhanced parental leave

An employment tribunal has held that it was direct sex discrimination not to pay full salary to a father taking shared parental leave, in circumstances where a mother taking maternity leave during the same period would have received full pay.

The Claimant complained that as a male employee he was entitled to only two weeks paid leave following the birth of his child, whereas a female employee, would be entitled to 14 weeks’ pay following the birth of her child.