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Publish Parental Leave

We're calling on the government to make it mandatory for large employers to publish their parental leave policies.

By Mumsnet HQ | Last updated Oct 2, 2025

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We want it to be mandatory for large employers to publish their parental leave policies. We think they should be obliged to publish information on the number of weeks of leave parents can expect, and at what proportion of their usual salary, along with any qualifying period. They should do this for maternity leave, paternity leave, and adoptive leave.

Requiring large employers to publish their parental leave policies is a small, cost-free change that would be a powerful incentive for employers to develop better policies, allay fears that prospective parents - especially women - have about being discriminated against in the recruitment process, and help to close the gender pay gap.

The results of our survey

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Eight out of 10 are reluctant to ask potential employers about pay and leave for new parents, fearing it would make a job offer less likely. We're calling on the government to make publication mandatory.

Read our survey results here

Our Best Practice Guide for employers

Our guide to employers to help them publish their parental leave policies, including what to publish and where.

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Read the guide

Our analysis of the FTSE 100

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Our analysis of FTSE 100 companies in 2019 found that just 23 published details about their maternity, paternity, shared parental or adoption pay and leave.

Read our analysis here

Our analysis of the FTSE 250

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FTSE 250 companies publicise pasty discounts and peternity leave but not parental policies.

Read our analysis here

#PublishParentalLeave updates

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We've turned our sights to local authorities

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We've written to every council leader in the country to ask them to ensure their local authority publishes its parental leave policies and to pass a motion backing the campaign.

Find out more

#AskYourBoss

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We want Mumsnet users to ask their bosses or senior management whether they publish their parental leave policies for all to see and, if they dont, wed like you to ask whether theyd consider it.