Looking around the school playground a while ago, I made an interesting observation. I noticed that the Year 5 kids were almost all as tall, if not taller, than their mothers. In a few cases, kids of that age were also taller than their fathers.
I think 2019 is the year that Shared Parental Leave (SPL) properly arrived in the UK. Various large employers such as Volvo, British Land and Aviva have made very public statements and taken actions supporting the policy and before stepping down as PM, Theresa May announced a consultation looking at ways to improve SPL. Added
I pointed under the dining table and said: “That’s your priority. I’m afraid it’s like a pizza under there.” Andy, the technician from Carpet Bright UK, wasn’t fazed at all. He laughed and said he’d seen much worse.
Some years ago I saw a horrendous example of what can happen when a motorist is distracted by a mobile phone. I was in South London minding my own business when a recovery vehicle drove towards me while towing a broken down car.
During 2019 I have noticed a very positive change when it comes to public discussion about Shared Parental Leave. More men are talking about it, there is a campaign to extend it to the self-employed and companies such as Volvo and Aviva have improved their paternity policies so that more men can take the leave.
