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UK near bottom of league for 'family friendly' policies

Britain is one of least family-friendly countries in the developed world, a report has found.

Britain is one of least family-friendly countries in the developed world, a report has found.

The study, by the Fatherhood Institute, a family policy think-tank, placed Sweden top overall, Switzerland bottom, and the UK in 18th place.

The report said much of government policy was still based on "old" notions of men as the natural breadwinners and women as home-makers. But politicians and the public want to see more equal rights for both parents, with mothers and fathers sharing the duties of childcare and earning an income, it said.

The UK was in 14th place for generosity of paternity leave, with men in Britain only receiving two days of fully paid time off, compared with 40 weeks in Sweden. This had a major impact on women's careers, as mothers were more likely to stay at home, missing out on promotions and pay rises, because leave was more generous than for men.

The UK also scored poorly on flexible working opportunities for men, high rates of single-parent families and the equality of time spent on housework between men and women.

Read more at the Telegraph