A third of fathers are oblivious of their rights to paternity leave, a survey has revealed, as the government launched a month-long ‘Dads at Work’ awareness campaign to try and rectify the situation.

The campaign comes in advance of a move to allow new mothers to transfer the last six months of their year-long maternity leave to the father if they so choose. The changes will kick in from April 2011.

Employment Relations Minister Lord Young said: “We know that rights for dads at work are valued by people and that businesses also see real benefits in offering them, but our research shows that there are still some dads out there that are not aware of what they’re entitled to and, therefore, risk missing out.”

According to a study among 560 fathers undertaken by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, one in five were also ignorant of the fact that to access full paternity rights – two week’s leave paid at a statutory rate of £123.06 per week – they needed to speak to their employer 15 weeks before the baby was due.

They can also take up to 13 weeks unpaid leave until their child is five years old. Fathers in both instances have to have been working for their employer for at least 26 weeks, however.

But figures from the Equality and Human Rights Commission released last October indicated that 45% of fathers failed to take their current entitlement due to financial concerns as, in many families, they are the main breadwinner. The Commission recommended that paternity pay should be boosted to 90% of their salary.

Despite the difficulties, a massive 91% of fathers felt it important to have the option to take paid paternity leave, while nearly two thirds believed that the relationship their child would suffer if they did not take it up.

A further one in five dads with children aged 16 and under said they were unaware that they were legally entitled to request flexible working arrangements, although 56% indicated that they would actively look for an employer offering such arrangements if going for a new job. More than 90 per cent of such requests are now approved by employers.

As part of its campaign, the government has set up a ‘Dads at Work’ website, but also plans to distribute posters and leaflets to doctors’ surgeries, hospitals and antenatal clinics.

You can see how the paternity leave changes have affected families and in particular, Dads, for the better here: