One of Britain’s largest employers is now offering new fathers six months of fully paid leave, following a call by the Princess of Wales for businesses to take a leading role in supporting early childhood development.
Deloitte announced that it would give all new parents — including fathers — 26 weeks of paid family leave. The move follows the Princess’s ongoing work to encourage organisations to invest in the first five years of a child’s life, which royal sources have previously described as her “life’s work”.
The change is part of a wider response by members of The Royal Foundation Business Taskforce on Early Childhood, which includes major employers such as Aviva, NatWest, Unilever, Co-op and IKEA.
Currently, new fathers in the UK are entitled to just two weeks of paid parental leave, while mothers can take up to a year, although not all of it is paid. The discrepancy has long been criticised for placing the weight of early childcare largely on women, impacting female career progression and workplace equality.
Deloitte’s updated policy, first introduced in September 2024, was designed in part to help increase the number of female partners at the firm. The company is a founding member of the Princess’s early childhood taskforce and has also led economic analysis on the value of investing in young children and their caregivers.
Businesses Begin to Deliver on Childhood Investment
The Royal Foundation revealed this week that the taskforce’s members have now implemented a range of projects to support families and early years development.
Highlights include:
- Deloitte: Six months’ paid leave for all new parents
- Lego: Donated 3,000 “Emotions” building sets to early years providers
- IKEA: Launched a fundraising product range for baby banks
- Iceland: Created visual aids to help young children express emotions
- Teach First: Over 1,300 early years teachers funded to gain leadership qualifications
- Apprenticeships: More than 130 new placements for midwives, nursery nurses and health visitors
- NatWest: Increased early years lending to £100 million and pledged a further £250 million
- Aviva: Preparing a series of films to support new parents and managers across its 26,000 staff
- Co-op: Developing resources for its six million members to help nurture children’s social and emotional growth
£45 Billion Potential from Investing in Early Years
A landmark report produced last year by Deloitte for the taskforce estimated that targeted early childhood investment could unlock up to £45.5 billion a year in economic value. The figures included:
- £12.2 billion from improving social and emotional skills
- £16.1 billion from reducing costly remedial support
- £17.2 billion from better support for parents and caregivers
Sir Ron Kalifa, chair of the taskforce, praised the participating organisations for strong leadership and said their initiatives had already made a tangible difference to families.
“Their efforts have made a real, tangible difference in the lives of countless families with young children,” he said. “This is only the beginning of what’s possible. The road ahead is bursting with potential.
“By continuing to work hand-in-hand, we have the chance to reimagine the role of business in society – not just as engines of economic activity, but as champions of childhood, wellbeing and long-term societal health.”
What It Means for Employers
Observers say Deloitte’s decision could help catalyse wider reform of paternity policies across sectors, particularly among large employers. While the policy shift was partly driven by the firm’s own goals around gender equality, it also reflects growing recognition of the workplace impact of parental wellbeing and the wider economic value of family support.
The Royal Foundation said all the taskforce initiatives were designed to “support families and create a happier, healthier society”.
With more employers now reviewing how they support working parents — and more workers searching for better leave options — campaigners hope the Princess’s message will drive longer-term change across both public and private sectors.