More paternity leave 'could help mental health'

Dave Harley struggled with his mental health when his son was born

A father who suffered from paternal postpartum depression after the birth of his son has joined a campaign calling for better paternity leave in the UK.

Dave Harley, from Oxford, said "he wasn't in control" and his "emotions were everywhere" when his boy was born in 2023.

He said the stress of juggling work and being a new father "was a lot of adjustment at once" and having more time off to bond with his child would have helped.

Minister for Employment Rights Kate Dearden said the government was "carrying out a comprehensive review" into the current parental leave system.

Mr Harley has signed up to The Dad Shift, a campaign group of fathers who are calling for the government to change paternity leave in the UK.

The 42-year-old, who works as an occupational therapist for the NHS, had the statutory two weeks of paternity leave and then used two weeks holiday.

Thinking back to that time he said he "felt really emotional, had a low mood and began to isolate".

Mr Harley has signed up to The Dad Shift, which is campaigning for better paternity leave

When thinking about his new born son, he admitted: "I felt like I didn't really like him," adding: "It was really strange."

He said when he began having irrational thoughts about hurting his son then his GP became concerned.

His doctor told him he was suffering from paternal postpartum depression, which lasted for about 18 months.

"It took a lot longer to juggle everything and manage my own mental health because of the short time that I had with him and then I felt guilty because I had to go back to work," he said.

Mr Harley has reduced his working week to four days and said the bond he now shares with his son was "really strong" and the family was expecting their second child.

Alex Lloyd Hunter co-founded The Dad Shift last year

Alex Lloyd Hunter, from Oxford, is the co-founder of The Dad Shift, which was set up in 2024.

The 36-year-old father of two said Mr Harley's story was "pretty common" and called the current state of paternity leave in the country "a national embarrassment".

He pointed to figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which show that the UK's statutory paternity leave is the worst in Europe with fathers paid £374.36 for two weeks paternity leave.

Mr Lloyd Hunter said: "It can now cost between £5,000 to £10,000 to have a new baby in the first year because things have become so expensive."

He said people on the lowest incomes are being hit the hardest by this and "a huge number of fathers struggling".

He said it was a "pressure cooker for mental health problems" as fathers face the combination of stressing about financial pressure and worrying about their partner and their child.

"The time with your child, the ability to be there to support your partner is something that everyone should have the right to and is an incredibly good thing both for our children and our society as a whole," he said.

The Dad Shift supporters have been putting "Paternity Charge Notices" around the country

Hundreds of supporters of the campaign group have been putting "Paternity Charge Notices" on buggies, in parks, in shops and anywhere that parents might see them, in order to raise awareness of the cause.

Minister for Employment Rights Kate Dearden said: "We know the current parental leave system needs improving, which is why we're carrying out a comprehensive review to make sure it truly works for modern families.

"Our landmark Employment Rights Bill will also make paternity leave a right from day one, a vital step in giving parents the flexibility and support they deserve."