JERSEY’S current employment laws reinforce traditional gender roles and contribute to the gender pay gap, business leaders have warned – as they called for a more equitable approach to paid leave for both parents.
The Institute of Directors praised the Island’s family-friendly legislation for “providing greater flexibility and choice for parents”, but said that “many families are unable to take full advantage of the leave entitlements due to affordability”.
Lynn Cleary, Chair of the IoD’s People Leadership & Strategy Sub-Committee, outlined the concerns of the business community in a letter to the Family Friendly Post-Implementation Sub-Panel – a group of politicians assessing how new family-friendly legislation has impacted local businesses and parents.
The IoD said that the current legal framework offers a “strong baseline” for family-friendly policy, but could be made “more inclusive and practical”.
The letter explained that while both parents can technically share up to 52 weeks of leave, statutory paid leave is disproportionately weighted toward Parent 1 – which is typically the birth mother – with Parent 2 entitled to just six weeks.
“This imbalance risks reinforcing traditional gender roles and contributes to the gender pay and authority gaps,” the IoD said.
They also called for a more equitable approach to paid leave for both parents, and “targeted support for non-traditional family journeys” such as infertility, loss, and fostering.
