Parental Leave Benchmark 2026

See the Full Picture of Parental Leave: Benchmark your policy, shape parent experience, and deliver business outcomes.

Parental Leave Benchmark 2026

What if you've only been seeing half the picture?

Parental leave is often judged by policy alone: what it offers, how much it pays, and how it compares on paper. But policy is only part of the picture.

The Parental Leave Benchmark 2026 explores what happens before, during and after leave, combining employer data and parent experiences to uncover the experiences, systems and practices that truly shape parental leave outcomes.

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Inside the Report

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Where parental leave policies break down in practice
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What parents need before, during and after leave
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How leading employers are evolving their approach
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The biggest opportunities to improve parent experience
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Benchmark insights from employers across the UK
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Practical actions to strengthen your strategy in 2027
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Access to the Interactive Parental Leave Calculator

"No contact, despite my manager saying they would occasionally share key updates. A change of manager with no introduction. No check-in. No human touch."

- Parent survey respondent, Parental Leave Benchmark 2026

How Does Your Policy Compare?

Use our interactive calculator to compare your parental leave offering with employers in your sector or organisation size group.

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Compare your policy against similar employers
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See how you rank within your chosen comparison group
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Identify strengths and potential gaps
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Download a personalised benchmark report

Where Are the Gaps in Your System?

What Parents Tell Us

Only half of parents found returning to work easy.
are concerned about balancing work and family responsibilities after leave.

What Employers Are Doing

25 percent
Provide manager training to support parental leave journeys.
4 percent
Use parental leave data to continuously improve outcomes.

Explore Previous Benchmark Reports

See how parental leave priorities, parent expectations and employer support strategies have evolved over time.

Parental Leave is the New Dealbreaker: How Does Your Policy Measure Up?

Parental Leave and Family Support UK Benchmark 2025

Parental Leave and Family Support

Parental Leave and Family Support Benchmark UK 2023

Pregnant woman in front of computer

Parental Leave Policy & Reward Benchmark 2021