On Tuesday 21st February, Worcester City Council unanimously agreed to adopt a parental leave policy for councillors as there is currently no legal right to parental leave of any kind for people in elected public office. Green Councillor Marjory Bisset proposed that the council should have a parental leave policy after she witnessed councillors struggling to fulfil their duties sometimes within days of giving birth.
Under the policy, any councillor who becomes a parent will be entitled to paid leave – normally up to six months for a mother, and at least two weeks for a father; where both parents are councillors, they can share the six months’ maternal leave. Councillors who adopt children are also entitled to six months of paid leave.
Having this policy in place will make the role of city councillor more appealing to younger age groups. Would-be councillors contemplating having or adopting children will know how to meet their work and family commitments.
Marjory Bisset said: ‘I am delighted that after I first raised the idea, the council now has a parental leave policy in place. I hope this will help encourage more women and younger people to stand and get elected to the council and bring their perspectives to the debate.’
In a 2022 survey, the average age of councillors was 59.5 years old. 59 per cent of councillors were male, and 41 per cent were female.
