This is the response that I've got 90% of the time in the past few months when I've mentioned it to friends and family. Heck, I was in a similar position about 6 months ago.
In this post, I'll be covering:
- What exactly Unpaid Parental Leave (UPL) is
- The benefits
- A comparison of UPL against Part time work
- Case study of UPL vs Part time for an average family/salary, and which option is best
- Why people aren't taking Unpaid Parental Leave
I actually write this after taking the previous week off as Unpaid Parental Leave, the first time I've done it. In total, I'm taking 8 weeks off this year to spend more time with my children. I've always done things a bit differently, so I'm reversing the age-old societal arrangement of swapping your time for money, a move that seems to be extremely rare for a father and provider in his late 30s! I also see this as taking my first baby steps into FIRE-life, buying back some of my time to spend it wisely with the people that I love, and ultimately my legacy.
What is Unpaid Parental Leave?
Unpaid Parental Leave is a an employee's right to take time off work (unpaid obvs) to care for their child. It was introduced way back in 1999, under the The Maternity and Parental Leave Regulations.
- Eligibility: You must have worked for the employer for at least a year (although I think Labour are trying to change this)
- Entitlement: Eligible employees can take up to 18 weeks of unpaid leave per child before the child turns 18. You can take up to 4 weeks per year per child, unless your employer agrees to more. Leave must be taken in whole week chunks.
- Job Protection: Your job is protected during parental leave, and you’re entitled to return to the same job afterward.
- Purpose: This is very vague on the Gov website and boils largely down to "spending more time with your children.
- Postponement: Employers can postpone the leave if it would disrupt business operations, but they must allow it within 6 months of the original request.
The Government website is here, is extremely basic and easy to use (if only all aspects of Government was this streamlined!)
Why haven't I heard about Unpaid Parental Leave?
I don't know about you, but personally, I don't know anyone who takes it, and a surprising number of people who just haven't heard of it.
I'm in a local WhatsApp group for Dads in Leeds, over 200 people, and not a single one of them has taken it. Only one person said that their wife did it (in a company of thousands, and she was the first person to take it!) and a couple of others had said they had heard of it. I'm extremely surprised about this as it is a very pro-fatherhood group with a good portion of them taking Shared Parental Leave in the baby's first year. SPL and UPL are effectively doing the same thing, so why the imbalance? I had similar results in polls that I ran on Reddit and Twitter.
Admittedly, I am quite embarrassed to say that it was only when I read my staff handbook for my new job that I came across it. I've taken three months off completely unpaid through Shared Parental Leave a number of years ago, and actively seek out ways to optimise work/life and time/money balance. How come I had never heard of it before?
It seems I wasn't alone. Bearing in mind that the FIREUK forum is filled with people who scrutinise and optimise time/money scenarios, some of the responses I got were:
"I'm pretty on top of a lot of this kind of thing, changes in legislation etc. I had absolutely no idea this was a thing. Never heard of it."
Given that FIRE - boiled down - is all about trading in the money that you've accumulated for time, why is UPL rarely mentioned as an option?
Prevalence of Unpaid Parental Leave vs Part-Time work:
Part-Time Work: Far more common, especially among mothers. Roughly 30–40% of employed mothers work part-time, depending on child age, compared to under 10% of fathers. This translates well over 2 million parents working part time.
Unpaid Parental Leave: Likely taken by a small fraction of eligible parents, possibly in the low thousands yearly, given its unpaid status and restrictive conditions.
Why are so many people going part time rather than applying for Unpaid Parental Leave. Let's explore the factors involved for both.
Comparison: Unpaid Parental Leave vs Part time work
Overall pay
- Both exactly the same. Total loss of pay for that period.
Draw
Regularity of pay
- With part time, pay is reduced pro-rata and stays the same each month
- With UPL, the pay will normally become "lumpy", normal one month and a lot less then next (especially during summer holidays if you choose to take it then). However this can be mitigated if you arrange with your employer to reduce the pay pro-rata so it remains consistent each month. This is actually the preferred option that my employer wanted to take
Annual Leave
- Part time - no annual leave is accrued for days not worked
- UPL - you still accrue all annual leave for all period of UPL, therefore get to retain your full contractual amount
UPL wins
Pension Payments
- Part time - reduced on a pro-rata base accordingly
- UPL - most employee contracts allow employer pension payments continue at their normal level. Nothing lost
UPL wins
Career progression/ job security
- Part time is seen as a permanent/ semi permanent move over UPL which some bosses might consider as temporary, or only for a few years (especially given the 18 week per child limit).
UPL wins
Workload/work-life balance
- With a 30 hours part time role you run the very real risk of actually doing the work of 5 days, just condensed into 4.
- As UPL is taking weeks off at a time it is much easier to separate work and leave.
UPL wins
Flexibility on when to take
- Part time work is normally taken on a weekly basis, you will drop a certain amount of hours/days per week
- UPL is taken a week at a time
- UPL seems more flexible as you can take it in chunks, or all at once. You will also still have your full annual leave balance to deploy for the odd days you need off. With part time, you are locked into a fixed weekly schedule.
UPL wins
Right of employer refusal.
- An employer can refuse an employee's part time request and the list seems quite extensive for the reasons they can give.
- UPL cannot be refused by an employer. It can be delayed, however they have to justify it with extenuating operational reasons why
UPL wins
Pretty conclusive win for UPL right? Let's apply it to a case study...
Case study: Unpaid Parental Leave vs. a 4-Day Week: What’s Best for a UK Parent with Two Kids?
For this case study lets take an average UK parent of two children, on a wage of £40k a year. 28 days holiday, plus Bank Holidays. All pretty standard.
The Setup
You’re on £40,000 full-time, working 5 days a week (37.5 hours, a typical UK standard). For UPL, you take 2 months (8 weeks) off—feasible with two kids under 18, given the UK’s 18-week-per-child allowance (max 4 weeks per year per child). For part-time, you switch to a 4-day week at 30 hours—80% of full-time. Here’s how it shakes out.
Overall Pay: The Cash Crunch
- Unpaid Parental Leave (2 Months): Two months without pay hits hard. Your monthly salary is £3,333 (£40,000 ÷ 12), so 8 weeks off costs £6,666. You’d take home £33,334 for the year—a steep but short-term drop, manageable with savings or a partner’s income.
- 4-Day Week (30 Hours): Dropping to 30 hours (80% of 37.5) cuts your pay by 20%, to £32,000 a year (£2,666/month). That’s £8,000 less than full-time over 12 months—more than UPL’s £6,666—but it’s spread evenly, avoiding a sudden crunch.
Winner? UPL saves £1,332 annually, but you’ll need to brace for the 2-month gap. A 4-day week eases the monthly sting.
Annual Leave: Holiday Hoarding
- Unpaid Parental Leave: You keep your full statutory 5.6 weeks (28 days for a 5-day, 37.5-hour week) since holiday accrues during UPL. Add some paid leave, and you could soften the unpaid blow. Bank holidays (say, 8) stick around too.
- 4-Day Week: Leave pro-rates to 80%—4.48 weeks, or 22.4 days (likely rounded to 22 or 23). Bank holidays drop to 6 or 7, assuming they’re part of your full-time entitlement.
Winner? UPL’s 28 days trump the 4-day week’s 22-23. Extra time for kid-wrangling or a seaside escape.
Pension Contributions: Future You Says Thanks
- Unpaid Parental Leave: On £40,000, you contribute 5% (£2,000/year) and your employer 3% (£1,200/year). Two months off would typically lose £533, but your employee contract deal keeps it rolling—still £3,200 total.
- 4-Day Week: On £32,000, it’s £1,600 (you) and £960 (employer)—£2,560 total. That’s £640 less than full-time.
Winner? UPL preserves your full £3,200 pension vs. £2,560.
Career Progression & Job Security: Climbing or Clinging?
- Unpaid Parental Leave: Your job’s safe—same role back after 4 weeks per child per year; 8 weeks across two might mean “same or similar” if things shift. Career progression pauses briefly, but you’re back full-time soon, keeping your trajectory.
- 4-Day Week: No legal right to revert to 5 days—you’re negotiating with HR. Progression can stall; a permanent 30-hour week might flag you as less “all-in” for big roles. Security’s fine if your job fits 4 days, but it’s a riskier vibe.
Winner? UPL—less career drag and a surer return.
Workload & Work-Life Balance: Sanity Check
- Unpaid Parental Leave: Two months off wipes your workload clean—perfect for newborn cuddles or surviving the summer hols. Then it’s back to 37.5 hours, which might jar with two kids in tow. As UPL is taking weeks off at a time, it is much easier to separate work and home life
- 4-Day Week: Thirty hours over 4 days (7.5 hours/day) lightens the load 20%—think a glorious 3-day weekend every week. Work stays, but it’s more manageable.
Winner? The 4-day week for steady balance; UPL for a short, total break.
Flexibility on When to Take: Timing It Right
- Unpaid Parental Leave: You choose, but it’s fixed—21 days’ notice, locked into that block (up to 4 weeks per kid per year). Ideal for a set plan, not last-minute needs. However, you can take it in chunks, or all at once, so there is a lot of flexibility there, especially with your full annual leave balance to use outside of school holiday weeks.
- 4-Day Week: More fluid—start whenever you and your boss agree, and tweak later if they’re game. However, it’s a long-term shift, not a one-off, and unless you've agreed to a very fluid flexible working agreement, then you'd be agreeing to a weekly set working routine.
Winner? Draw, completely depends on your situation, when you need time off and what you need it for (weekly routine vs school holidays).
Right of Employer Refusal: Who’s Got the Power?
- Unpaid Parental Leave: Employers can’t veto it but can delay up to 6 months if it “seriously disrupts” business (e.g., you play a key role in a project). They must explain and reschedule quickly.
- 4-Day Week: No legal right to 30 hours—they can refuse outright for “business needs” (e.g., your role demands 5 days). It’s a plea, not a guarantee.
Winner? UPL—stronger legal muscle, less chance of a flat no.
The Extras: Cash Flow & Vibes
- Cash Flow: UPL’s £6,666 hit could mean belt-tightening for two months. A 4-day week’s £666 monthly dip is kinder.
- Vibes: UPL’s a 2-month family oasis; a 4-day week’s ongoing breathing room.
The Verdict
Two kids, £40,000 salary? If you can swing the 2-month pay cut (savings or a partner’s help), unpaid parental leave takes it. You lose less (£6,666 vs. £8,000), keep more holiday (28 vs. 22 days), protect your pension (£3,200 vs. £2,560), and shield your career and job. It’s a focused family sprint—great for a new baby or school break—with less employer resistance.
But if you want consistent ease, a 4-day week (30 hours) delivers. The pay cut is bigger long-term, pension and annual leave shrink, and career might wobble, but 3-day weekends with two kids? Priceless—pending your boss’s nod.
Your move? UPL needs a cash stash; a 4-day week needs a willing employer. Either way, you’re making room, and sacrifices, for those that you love most in life. If you have the ability to, and you are considering either of these options, then you are making the right choice in a society that seems to prioritise the outsourcing of childcare over the outsourcing of other tasks.
Why Few Take Unpaid Parental Leave
UPL uptake is elusive in official stats, as the UK government does not systematically track it but is likely to be thousands vs. millions for people doing part-time.
What could some of the reasons be why people aren’t taking it?
Financial Burden
- UPL means no pay during the period of leave taken, which can be tough for families relying on a full salary. For example, taking 2 months off at £40,000 yearly means losing £6,666 upfront, which many can’t afford, preferring part-time work’s smaller monthly pay cut.
- However, as mentioned earlier, this can be mitigated if the employer agrees to pro-rata the pay and smooth it out.
Need for Ongoing Flexibility that suits your scenario
- Part-time work, like a 4-day week, offers regular time off for daily parenting, fitting better for long-term care needs. UPL gives a block of time off but then returns to full-time, which may not suit ongoing responsibilities.
However, for me, the above 2 factors aren’t big enough and can be mitigated through various means. For me, the biggest factor is the following:
People just haven’t heard about it, and there’s not enough people talking about it
- The lack of awareness of Unpaid Parental Leave is staggering. Up until 6 months ago, I include myself in this!
- The TUC reported in 2018 that most parents were unaware of their right to take this benefit.
- UPL has only been around for 25 years so it's understandable why people haven't heard about it... Forgive my facetiousness, but if you compare it with the relatively recent Shared Parental Leave (2015), I’d argue there is a lot more people that know about SPL over UPL. The upshot for both is effectively the same, you are trading your money for time (SPL is normally completely unpaid unless you have a fantastic contract/generous workplace), and SPL has a much higher uptake than UPL. Is it just down to awareness and marketing it as an option then?
Ultimately this is the purpose of the blog post. To raise awareness of Unpaid Parental Leave, to get people talking about it, to get people applying for it, forcing HR departments around the country to dust off their Employee Handbook binders.
Not just that, once you’ve taken it then speak to other parents about it, champion it. And if you hear a parent say the popular trope that “teachers are so lucky getting all the school holidays off”, then please tell them about UPL, and point them here!
That’s it. Phew!
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