# M&S and Tesco offer fathers six weeks’ full pay, far above statutory leave

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/retail-leads-the-way-on-paternity-leave-as-government-urged-to-improve-offer/
- Published: 2026-10-25T10:00:01+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-25T10:22:32+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/25/retail-leads-way-paternity-leave-government-urged-improve-offer
- Topics: Art, Business, Culture, Government, Politics

## Key points

- M&S and Tesco offer six weeks of full-pay paternity leave.
- UK statutory leave remains two weeks at up to £194.32 weekly.
- MPs and campaigners want the government to improve the offer.

## Summary

Retailers including M&S and Tesco are offering substantially more paid paternity leave than the statutory minimum, exposing a widening gap between retail and sectors such as construction, manufacturing and agriculture. Campaigners and MPs say the UK’s limited entitlement prevents many fathers from supporting their partners and bonding with their children, and are urging the government to improve it.

M&S and Tesco provide six weeks at full pay, while statutory leave is two weeks paid at up to £194.32 a week. Five employers have upgraded leave for nearly 650,000 workers, according to campaign group The Dad Shift and researcher Ian Dinwiddy; by contrast, JCB and Rolls-Royce offer two weeks at full pay. The article says the UK ranks 40th among 43 OECD countries for paternity leave, and notes that many self-employed workers in construction and agriculture have no paid entitlement.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.