Telford father’s ‘dad guilt’ for being at work after birth

Joel Priddey feels “dad guilt” for not being around as much as he could have when his family needed him most.

Instead of being with his partner and baby daughter following a really difficult birth over Christmas, Joel said he was forced back to work because they needed the money.

The law entitled him to two weeks of paid leave on about £184 a week – a figure that has now risen to £187.18. But with bills to pay and a new mouth to feed, it was not enough to support the household.

“Statutory pay would have covered the rent and nothing else,” said Joel, who lives in Telford.

“All my savings had been depleted. We’d been a single-income family for nine months because of a horrific pregnancy, so I either had to dig myself into a load of debt or bite the bullet and return to work.

“I spent a lot of time at work worrying about what was going on at home.”

Joel’s employer gave him three days off work on full pay when his baby was born, and he took a further five days off using his annual leave.

Some employers offer extended paternity benefits, including additional weeks off work on full pay, but most do not.

A first-of-its-kind protest, attended by about 200 people, was held in London this week by a campaign group calling for better paternity rights.

The Dad Shift wants fathers and other birthing partners to receive a minimum of six weeks’ leave on 90% of their wages, paid for by government as part of a new statutory package.

“The system makes it so hard for fathers to be present, and this is the first time that we’re aware of where dads have come together to strike to be more involved in their kids’ lives,” said Alex Lloyd-Hunter, co-founder of The Dad Shift.

“So many mums are just left to cope on their own – often after really difficult births involving operations.

“Mothers can’t be expected to shoulder everything alone when there are dads that want to be more involved.”

The Dad Shift campaign has the backing of Joel’s Labour MP, Shaun Davies, who has represented Telford since he won the seat last summer.

He held a debate about paternity law in Parliament in November, which was well-attended by many working-parent MPs.

He said that “British dads have the worst deal in the whole of Europe, with paid leave at the rate of just half the living wage”.

The government has said it will be carrying out a review into the parental leave system, including the pay and length of leave available to fathers and birth partners.

A spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade added it was already in the process of ensuring men no longer needed to be employed for 26 weeks to be entitled to paternity leave.

The Shropshire Chamber of Commerce, which represents businesses in the county, has welcomed the growing conversation about paternity rights, but warned extending leave and pay could “unintentionally make things a lot harder” for smaller employers.

Chief executive Ruth Ross said businesses were already battling with rising costs and tight margins.

She wants the government to take into account the financial and operational pressures that businesses are currently under when it considers updating the law.