Experts urge businesses to update policies as a quarter express concerns over implementing the new right
17 July 2026
As organisations continue to implement reforms under the Employment Rights Act, many indicated that the introduction of day-one paternity leave would be challenging.
A quarter (27 per cent) of employers said the right to day-one paternity leave would be one of the “hardest” changes to adopt at their organisation, making it the second biggest concern after statutory sick pay (SSP) by 3 percentage points, according to a survey of 1,050 senior decision makers by workplace conciliation service Acas.
The entitlement became a day-one right on 6 April this year, alongside Employment Rights Act reforms including SSP from the first day of illness.
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Safwan Afridi, managing associate at Mishcon de Reya, said it was understandable that employers were finding the shift challenging.
“Previously, an employee needed 26 weeks’ continuous service to qualify for paternity leave, so many employers had policies and payroll processes built around that threshold,” he explained.
Emma Cromarty, director at consultancy EC Human Resources, said she was surprised so many companies were struggling with paternity leave changes.
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