According to reports, police officers are facing stigma and ostracization for taking paternity leave, as it has been revealed that back-office staff in the Metropolitan police are entitled to nearly three times as much paternity pay as frontline fathers. A freedom of information request discovered that most serving police officers in England and Wales only take one week of paternity leave, with some officers returning to work a week after their babies are born. Among the 44 forces that responded to the request, 75% provide one week of paternity leave at full pay, with a second week on statutory pay. More than 50 testimonies from officers and their families have raised concerns about the treatment of fathers, with officers describing a culture of mockery and exclusion. A former officer stated that he was treated poorly for taking two weeks of unpaid leave to care for his partner after an emergency caesarean. The Metropolitan Police offers civilian staff three weeks of paternity leave at full pay, while frontline officers receive one fully paid week and the second week at the statutory rate of £184.03. The Met claims that police pay regulations for every force are set by the Home Office and not something individual forces can change. However, at least nine forces across England and Wales now offer a second week of paternity leave on full pay. The Police Federation found that more than one in five officers are ready to quit the service in 2023, with 27% of officers resigning before reaching pension age and over 60% citing the impact on their family life as a critical factor. A cofounder of the Dad Shift campaign, Alex Lloyd Hunter, has urged Yvette Cooper to improve paternity pay for officers and address the Metropolitan Police’s “grossly unfair policy.” The Home Office spokesperson stated that police bodies make recommendations on pay, but the government recognizes the importance of supporting officers for a healthy and engaged police workforce.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/30/police-officers-mocked-ostracised-paternity-leave-england-wales