Being a great parent is hard enough without stingy employers. As Year of the Dad approaches, DOUGLAS GUEST, father-of-three & head of programmes for FNS, explains why generous paternity should be standard.

NOTHING prepares you for parenthood and the vulnerability you will feel. The first weeks and hours are tough – the first years are tough! It is an emotional rollercoaster and employers that understand this are the ones who will ultimately be valued in society.

I am lucky: for most of my adult life, I’ve worked in the public and third sectors, which tend to have decent work-life balance policies. For my first child I worked for a national charity and had a week paid paternity and a week standard paternity leave. I took additional holidays.

Sign up here to join Year of the Dad, as NICK THORPE captures the spirit of the 2016 celebration of fatherhood with help from forward-thinking parents and employers.

WANT to know what Year of the Dad is all about? Look no further than John and Nikki Duncan, examplars of the kind of culture change we want to celebrate.