Member

In the last Parliament, my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Barnsley North (Dan Jarvis) introduced a private Member’s Bill that came into force in April 2024. The Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act 2023 extended the protected period from redundancy for parents. The protected period is the length of time during which a member of staff must be offered an appropriate, suitable post should their job role be at risk of redundancy. That protected period applies to the mother for 18 months after her child is born, to adoptive parents for 18 months after their child arrives in England, Scotland or Wales from overseas or the date on which the adoption placement starts, and for 18 months for those taking more than six weeks of shared parental leave. Those are the only groups of parents included in the extension to the protected period, which means that dads taking paternity leave are left out. Dads may benefit from the protections if they adopt a child, which is great, or if they take more than six weeks of shared parental leave, but dads who take paternity leave have no such protections, and that is obviously wrong.