Call to update parental leave

Tradesmen across the UK are calling on the government to fix a system that leaves thousands of dads in the trades unable to afford time off when their baby arrives, with campaigners saying it’s time for change.

Lee Wilcox, CEO of On The Tools, the online community for tradespeople, said: “This huge hole in our nation’s paternity leave system needs filling fast.

“Too many self-employed tradesmen can’t afford to take even one day off when their baby arrives.

“Dads in the trades, like every new parent, want to show up for those precious first few weeks for their partner and new baby without being left out of pocket for doing so.”