Why organisations need to think beyond leave policies

Becoming a parent is one of life’s most significant transitions. It reshapes one’s identity, time, and what they need from work. Yet a quiet assumption still remains, that parenthood reduces a person’s commitment to their career progression.

The reality is more nuanced. Parenthood brings a profound shift in identity. A person is no longer only a professional, a partner, or a friend, they are now a primary caregiver too. These roles compete for time and energy, creating what researchers call inter-role conflict: when the demands of one role make another harder to meet (Rotondo & Kincaid, 2008). For new parents, this can surface as guilt, uncertainty, and pressure – exactly when organisational support is needed the most.

But this tension does not mean parents are less committed to their work. What changes is not their dedication, but how they balance their career alongside their wider responsibilities. Priorities such as flexibility, wellbeing, and sustainable performance, already valued at every stage of working life, often come into sharper focus. This is why support needs to go beyond leave policies and cover the wider transition into parenthood, including their return to work.

Leave policies alone will not have the impact a solid support system has. In fact, in the UK, fathers’ take-up of shared parental leave was estimated at just 2 - 8 % in 2019 (PwC UK, 2023). This suggests that the issue is not only whether policies exist, but whether employees feel able and encouraged to use them by their management. A policy is only as strong as the support that brings it to life. 

This is why thinking needs to shift from compliance to a development perspective. A recent study carried out by PwC UK showed that their economists make the case for a “dual-earner, dual-carer” model, in which both parents are supported to remain active at work and at home, with benefits for families, employers, and society alike (PwC UK, 2023). The wider research supports this too, suggesting that strong, intentional support can reduce work-life conflict and help parents build boundaries that are sustainable over the long term (Sirakaya, 2024) thus leading to better organisational outcomes.

Supporting this approach goes beyond enhancing employee wellbeing, it also delivers tangible benefits for the business. Organisations that support working parents typically benefit from stronger talent retention, higher engagement, and improved day-to-day efficiency. When employees see that their organisation genuinely invests in supporting them, they feel valued, which in turn fosters a positive workplace culture and strengthens the organisation’s reputation.

This article was written by Julia Sciberras, an Associate within the Human Capital team.