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Fathers will not take up the new paternity leave entitlement set out by the government, claims the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).  

The government measures will allow mothers to decide to return to work after six months, after which fathers will have the option to take the remaining legal entitlement of six months.

The research shows that the low statutory pay requirement would dissuade fathers from taking the extra time off work.

Mike Emmott, employee relations adviser at the CIPD, says: 'Our research shows that paid paternity leave, restricted as it is to a statutory £123.06 per week, is not attractive to the vast majority of fathers.'

The CIPD asserts that less than half of fathers would take even the existing two weeks' leave at statutory pay levels, 'so the proposed increase in paid paternity leave is unlikely to lead to any dramatic increase in take-up.'

In addition, the CIPD expressed concern about the administrative burden involved in sharing parental leave, which would discourage employers from promoting the new measures, and potentially lead to parents failing to get the leave to which they are entitled.

Andrew Millard, director of e-commerce at Citrix Online, says: 'While the government's proposal to allow mothers to split some of their maternity leave with their partners may be valuable in assisting new parents, the move is likely to be an added burden for employers who are already under increasing economic pressure, particularly smaller businesses.'