Equal Parenting Week is a national awareness and action campaign designed to challenge traditional gender roles in caregiving, and champion a more balanced, inclusive approach to parenting – at home and in the workplace. It’s an opportunity to spotlight what real support for working families looks like, and how employers can move beyond intention to take meaningful action.

At BAE Systems, equal parenting is not just a focus for one week of the year: it’s embedded into policies, culture, and the lived experiences of their employees. From enhanced neonatal leave to inclusive pregnancy loss support, BAE Systems is taking meaningful steps to ensure that all parents, regardless of gender or circumstance, feel supported at every stage of their journey.

One workplace policy which BAE Systems have enhanced to provide additional leave to support equal parenting is shared parental leave, which has made a massive impact for working parents like Engineering Transformation Lead, Joe

“Parenting did not come naturally to me. I’m far more at home with tools and wires and engines and things that are more predictable (and quieter) than a baby. But the additional shared parental leave was invaluable. Looking back now, I’m convinced this time together helped shape me as a father and strengthened my bond with Benedict far more than if I’d returned to work full-time after paternity leave. By the age of two he could even recite “suck, squeeze, bang, blow” when pictures of cars or jet engines appeared in his books (the four‑stroke cycle of an internal combustion engine). I don’t think he knows what it means yet, but we’ll get there.”

And Joe isn’t the only working dad who has benefited from BAE Systems’ policies. Their 4 weeks of paid paternity leave meant a huge deal to Senior Engineer, John:

“Having more paid paternity leave than the statutory requirement greatly benefited our family. I was able to care for my wife on her recovery journey, and spend more time bonding with my new daughter before I went back to work. I felt far more comfortable returning to the office and leaving my wife and daughter at home because of the additional time I was able to spend with them.”

BAE Systems’ approach to parental leave and benefits is firmly rooted in equality, and the belief that regardless of gender or the makeup of a family, parents deserve the same opportunities to balance work and life. 

This extends to their enhanced neonatal leave policy – where parents are entitled to leave and pay if their baby is admitted to neonatal care for at least a week within their first month of life – and their pregnancy loss leave policy, which applies to partners as well as the pregnant person. 

These foundations enable working parents at BAE Systems to feel supported and cared for, rather than work forming an additional stress during an already challenging time. 

To mark Equal Parenting Week 2026, we spoke to Mary, Co-Lead of the Working Parents Group at BAE Systems, to understand how these policies are making a difference, why equal parenting matters, and how the company is continuing to evolve its approach.

What does Equal Parenting Week mean to you and to BAE Systems as an organisation? 

For me, Equal Parenting Week is about recognising that caring responsibilities don’t sit with one gender, and that modern families come in many forms. For BAE Systems, it’s an opportunity to reinforce our commitment to inclusion, wellbeing and fairness — ensuring parents and caregivers are supported to thrive both at home and at work.

Why is it so important for companies to actively support equal parenting today?

Workplaces play a powerful role in shaping social norms. If organisations want to attract, retain and develop diverse talent, they must recognise that parenting is a huge factor. Active support for equal parenting helps remove barriers, improves wellbeing, and enables people to progress in their careers without compromising family responsibilities. Companies should also be mindful that equal parenting requires flexibility. For example, one parent may manage pick‑ups and drop‑offs one week, while the other parent may be better placed to do so the next.

Can you tell us more about the neonatal leave policy and the impact it’s had on employees? 

Neonatal leave recognises the very real emotional and practical challenges families face when a baby requires specialist medical care. It provides parents with dedicated time to focus on their child without the added pressure of work or financial concerns, helping families navigate what is often an incredibly stressful and uncertain period. Importantly, it also supports wellbeing and enables a healthier, more sustainable return to work. 

This is something I understand personally. My daughter was born seven weeks early in 2023, before the neonatal leave policy was in place. My maternity leave began not as I had imagined—at home with my baby—but instead sitting next to an incubator in neonatal intensive care for several weeks. Alongside the emotional strain, I was very aware that my maternity leave clock was already ticking, which ultimately meant returning to work sooner than expected.

For my husband, the situation was equally difficult. With only two weeks of paternity leave available, he faced an impossible choice: take his leave while our daughter was still in NICU, or save it for when we were finally all home together. When your baby is critically unwell and every moment is filled with worry, these are decisions no parent should have to make.

The introduction of the neonatal leave policy removes that additional burden. It allows parents to focus fully on their baby and on supporting each other, without being forced into trade‑offs at an already overwhelming time.

BAE Systems also offers pregnancy loss leave. Why was it important to ensure this support extends to partners as well?

Pregnancy loss affects both parents, emotionally and psychologically. Extending support to partners acknowledges that grief isn’t experienced by one person alone, and reinforces the message that compassion and understanding apply to all families, not just those who are physically pregnant.

How do these policies help to challenge traditional perceptions of parenting roles?

By making support gender‑neutral and inclusive, these policies encourage shared caregiving and challenge outdated assumptions about who ‘should’ take time away from work. They help normalise the idea that parenting is a joint responsibility and that taking leave or asking for flexibility should never be career‑limiting.

Beyond formal policies, how does BAE Systems create a culture where parents feel genuinely supported?

Culture is shaped by everyday behaviours—supportive leadership, open conversations, flexible working practices, and role‑modelling by senior leaders. When managers actively encourage people to use the support available and treat caregiving responsibilities as normal, it builds trust and psychological safety.

Our Working Parents Group is a UK-wide Peer Support Network with over 970 members, which aims to support working parents and prospective parents through their parental journey. It enables them to bring their best selves to work within BAE Systems through a supportive network that provides guidance, knowledge sharing and open conversation within a safe space. 

What advice would you give to other organisations looking to better support equal parenting?

Start by listening to your employees and understanding their lived experiences. Every day is not the same so flexibility, empathy and compassion are key! Design policies that are inclusive and flexible, communicate them clearly, and—most importantly—ensure leaders actively support and role‑model their use. Policy sets the standard, but culture determines whether it truly works.