NALC backs Mumsnet campaign to publish parental leave policies 

We are pleased to endorse Mumsnet’s campaign to encourage public sector organisations to publish their parental leave policies openly. This campaign supports a growing movement for workplace transparency and equality.

This support follows a compelling presentation delivered to our Policy Committee on 23 April 2024 by Rhiannon Evans, Mumsnet’s head of communications and public affairs, highlighting the benefits of accessible leave policies. In response, we have formalised our commitment, encouraging parish and town councils to publish their parental leave policies on their websites.

As a further step toward promoting transparency and supporting parental leave, we have also taken the unique step of publishing our Staff Handbook in its entirety, making our parental leave policies openly available. By doing so, we lead by example, providing a resource that parish and town councils can reference as they update or create their policies. This added measure reflects our dedication to the campaign and creating a workplace culture supporting equality, transparency, and family-friendly practices.

The Mumsnet Publish Parental Leave campaign, launched in 2019, was born out of user concerns that asking about parental leave at interviews could harm employment chances. By joining forces with Mumsnet, we aim to normalise open access to these policies across parish and town councils, ensuring this simple, cost-free change plays its part in addressing the gender pay gap.