More than three-in-four (78%) say enhanced parental leave would make them more likely to start a family sooner.
One-in-five (22%) Brits are delaying plans to start a family, as new research from VodafoneThree reveals how financial pressures and workplace support are shaping decisions around parenthood. Almost half (47%) cite cost of living and 40% the cost of childcare.
The poll of 2,000 employed UK adults suggests that employers are playing an increasingly important role in when Brits decide to have children. A third of Millennials (31%) are delaying plans for children due to concerns around workplace parental policies, with 43% of Gen Z saying the same (compared to 22% across all UK workers). As a result, 78% of Brits say that better parental leave would make them consider starting a family sooner.
The research also shows that concerns around paternity leave is a major factor for Dads to be. Men, more so than women, say concerns about workplace parental leave entitlements have delayed their family plans (25% compared to 20% of women). Half of working men (50%) say enhanced paternity leave would make them more confident about starting a family.
Commenting on the findings, Elliott Rae, founder of Parenting Out Loud and one of the UK’s most prominent voices on fatherhood and workplace culture said: “More dads than ever want to be actively involved in raising their children, and both parents increasingly want to share the care while continuing to thrive in their careers.
“People don’t just want to have children. They want to be present, involved parents, without having to sacrifice their careers to make that possible. Employers have a huge role to play in making this a reality. Parental leave, genuine flexibility and a workplace culture that supports both mums and dads to be equal parents can make a life-changing difference.”
Would-be parents shop around for family-friendly employers
The findings suggest family-friendly policies are not only influencing when people start families, but could also affect where they choose to work.
Three quarters of Gen Z (77%) say that family-friendly policies influenced their decision to join their current employer, compared to 69% of millennials and 37% of Gen X. Furthermore, more than a third (36%) of people looking to have children in the future would consider changing jobs to find better support for starting a family.
The most in-demand policies for prospective parents are more flexible working (57%), better maternity leave (51%) and enhanced paternity leave (30%).
VodafoneThree's parental leave policies at a glance
The research comes as VodafoneThree highlights the support available to employees starting or growing a family. All birthing and adoptive parents can take up to 39 weeks paid leave, while non-birthing parents can take up to 16 weeks at full pay. Employees returning from family-related leave can also choose to work 80% of their contracted hours for 100% pay for their first six months back at work. More broadly, an inclusive culture and flexible working policies – including core working hours, hybrid working and the ability to work from anywhere for up to 20 working days a year – help support employees with day-to-day flexibility.
Qiraat Salimee, Network Campaigns Lead at VodafoneThree, shared her experience:
“When I came back to work after maternity leave, I was able to work 80% of my hours for 100% pay for the first six months and as my husband, Esmail, also works at VodafoneThree, we were both able to benefit. It was amazing because we could take the time to spend with our daughters, create special memories and it helped us out with the nursery fees. Having flexibility around our working hours makes a big difference too, whether that’s managing nursery drop-offs or just juggling family life.”
Katrin Jacke, HR Director at VodafoneThree, said:
“At VodafoneThree, we recognise the incredible value that working parents bring to our organisation. Although employers can’t remove every barrier to parenthood, we can ensure our family-friendly policies give our people the time and flexibility they need in those key moments.
“Designing our policies with all parents in mind is one of the ways we can help families share caring responsibilities more equally from the start and through our continued support and flexible ways of working, we can give our people confidence that they can thrive both in their careers and in their personal life.”
Elliott Rae, Founder of Parenting Out Loud shares his advice on how working people can plan for parenthood
More than two thirds of working Brits (68%) believe that, with the right support from their employer, they can progress their career while being the parent they want to be. To help working parents realise this ambition, Elliott Rae shares his top tips on how to plan for parenthood.
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About the research
Research was conducted online by OnePoll among a nationally representative sample of 2,000 employed UK adults, representative by age, gender and region, between 8 October and 14 October 2026.
