1. What does enhanced maternity and paternity leave mean?

Enhanced maternity and paternity leave refers to companies offering more generous paid leave and flexible return-to-work options than the legal minimum. It’s a sign that an employer values family life and supports working parents.

2. Why is enhanced parental leave important?

Enhanced parental leave helps employees bond with their new child without financial stress. It also promotes gender equality by allowing both parents to take time off and return to work feeling supported and valued.

3. How can I find companies that offer great maternity and paternity benefits?

You can use platforms like Flexa to search for verified family-friendly employers. Flexa highlights companies that prioritise parental support, flexible working, and inclusive policies.

4. Do enhanced parental leave policies apply to all parents?

Many progressive companies now extend enhanced leave policies to all types of parents, including adoptive, same-sex, and surrogate parents. Always check the company’s parental leave policy to understand what’s covered.

5. How do strong parental leave policies benefit employers?

Companies that offer enhanced parental leave see higher employee satisfaction, loyalty, and retention. It also strengthens their employer brand by showing genuine care for their people’s wellbeing and family life.

What is enhanced maternity leave in the UK?

Enhanced maternity leave means an employer offers more generous pay or a longer period of paid leave than the statutory minimum. In the UK, statutory maternity pay covers 39 weeks but only provides full pay for the first six weeks. Enhanced maternity leave typically extends full pay for a longer period, often 16 to 26 weeks or more, giving parents more financial security during a critical time.

What should I look for beyond the number of weeks?

The number of weeks is a starting point, but also check whether the pay is full or partial, whether there is a minimum service requirement before you qualify, and whether the policy is the same for both parents. Day one eligibility, a phased return to work, and keep-in-touch days are also signs of a genuinely family-friendly employer.

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Best companies for enhanced maternity and paternity leave (2026)

Discover 25 global employers offering enhanced maternity and paternity leave in 2026, independently verified by Flexa. Find a workplace that genuinely supports parents.

7th Apr 2026

In the UK, statutory maternity pay covers 39 weeks but only at full pay for the first six weeks. Statutory paternity leave is just two weeks. For many working parents, that is not enough. The good news is that a growing number of employers are offering enhanced maternity and paternity leave that goes significantly further, with some offering six months or more at full pay for both parents.

Enhanced parental leave has become one of the most searched-for benefits among UK job seekers. It signals that an employer genuinely values family life, not just in its job adverts but in its actual policies.

Every company on this list has been independently verified by Flexa. That means their parental leave policies have been audited, not just self-reported. We highlight exactly what each employer offers so you can compare at a glance and find the best companies for enhanced maternity and paternity leave in the UK in 2026.

This blog features:

The top 25 companies offering enhanced maternity and paternity leave in 2026
Why enhanced paternity and maternity leave is important
How to find the best companies offering maternity and paternity leave benefits

What is enhanced maternity and paternity leave?

Statutory maternity and paternity leave is the legal minimum UK employers must offer. Enhanced leave means an employer goes beyond that baseline. Here is what to look for:

Enhanced maternity leave: full or partial pay for longer than the statutory six weeks at full pay, often 16 to 26 weeks or more at full pay
Enhanced paternity leave: more than the statutory two weeks, often four weeks or more at full pay
Shared parental leave: some employers enhance shared parental leave so both parents can split time off more equally
Adoption leave: leading employers match their maternity leave offer for adoptive parents
Return-to-work support: phased returns, keep-in-touch days, and flexible hours after leave
Day one eligibility: the most progressive employers offer enhanced leave from the first day of employment, with no minimum service requirement

When comparing employers, look beyond the headline number of weeks. Check whether the pay is full or partial, whether there is a minimum service requirement, and whether the policy covers all types of parents equally.

Which are the best companies for enhanced maternity and paternity leave in 2026?

ASOS: ASOS bring fashion lovers around the world the best and most relevant fashion through their unique own brands including ASOS DESIGN, ARRANGE, COLLUSION, Topshop, and Topman.

Enhanced parental leave includes:

Enhanced maternity leave: 26 weeks at enhanced pay
Enhanced paternity leave: 8 weeks at enhanced pay
Mental Health First Aiders and manager training to support a smooth return to work

EY: At EY, their purpose is to build a better working world. Through the insights and services they provide, EY helps create long-term value for people and society while building trust and confidence in the capital markets.

Vodafone: Vodafone is a leading international Telco serving 300 million customers. Their strong belief is that connectivity is a force for good. If we use it for the things that really matter, it can improve people's lives and the world around us.
Enhanced parental leave includes:

Enhanced maternity and paternity leave: 16 weeks at full pay
Phased return to work over 6 months following parental leave
Global policy applying across Vodafone markets.

BT Group: With over 175 years of heritage, BT is the flagship business brand of BT Group. They are a B2B powerhouse serving 1.2 million business customers internationally.

Enhanced parental leave includes:

Enhanced maternity leave: 18 weeks at full pay, followed by 8 weeks at half pay, then 6 months statutory
Flexible working and hybrid arrangements available across the business
Family-friendly policies backed by a formal commitment to inclusion

Virgin Media 02: Virgin Media O2 is an award-winning fibre broadband provider and telecommunications company. They manage 47 million UK connections across broadband, mobile, TV, and home phone, with around 18,000 colleagues working hard to provide the best connectivity to our valued customers.

Enhanced parental leave includes:

Enhanced maternity leave: 26 weeks at full pay
Enhanced paternity leave: 14 weeks at full pay

Adaptavist Group: The Adaptavist Group are experts at delivering innovative software, tailored solutions, and quality services across some of the world’s most trusted technology ecosystems, including Atlassian, AWS, Slack, monday.com, Aha!, GitLab, and many more.

Enhanced parental leave includes:

Enhanced maternity leave: 26 weeks at full pay from day one of employment
Enhanced paternity leave: 12 weeks at full pay from day one of employment
No minimum service requirement, making this accessible for all employees

Airbus: Airbus designs, manufactures and delivers industry-leading commercial aircraft, helicopters, military transports, satellites, launchers and more.

Enhanced parental leave includes:

Enhanced maternity and shared parental leave policies can give you up to 23 weeks leave fully paid.

Atom Bank: Atom are the UK's first app-based bank. They've been making banking as effortless as possible ever since they launched.

Enhanced parental leave includes:

Enhanced paternity leave: 4 weeks including 2 weeks statutory topped up to full pay
Flexible and remote-first working culture supporting work-life balance

Brit Insurance: Brit is a leading global specialty insurer and reinsurer focused on underwriting complex risks.

Enhanced parental leave includes:

Enhanced maternity leave: 26 weeks at full pay
Enhanced paternity leave: 4 weeks at full pay
Flexible working options available across the business

Camunda: Camunda enables organisations to orchestrate processes across people, systems, and devices to overcome complexity and increase efficiency.

Enhanced parental leave includes:

Paid parental leave for 20 weeks during the first year of parenthood for all parents
Where local law offers more generous leave, employees are entitled to the higher entitlement
Global policy applied consistently across all markets where Camunda operates

Hurree: Hurree is the smarter, simpler way to analyze data. Their platform transform complex data into clear, actionable insights, empowering businesses to become their own data analyst.

Mars UK: Mars produces some of the world’s best-loved brands. Mars’ team of 140,000+ associates are taking action every day toward the world we want tomorrow.

Enhanced parental leave includes:

Enhanced maternity and paternity leave: 26 weeks at 90% pay
Flexible working and hybrid arrangements across the business

Microsoft: Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organisation on the plant to achieve more.

Enhanced parental leave includes:

Enhanced maternity leave: 26 weeks at full pay
Enhanced paternity leave: 6 weeks at full pay
Flexible and hybrid working embedded across the organisation

Mondelēz International: Mondelēz International is a multinational confectionary, food and beverage company that has been making treats in the UK for nearly two hundred years.

MONY Group: MONY Group is the UK’s leading price comparison website - providing free, online tools to help people manage, save and grow their money, by enabling them to compare and switch Insurance, Money and Home products.

Mott MacDonald: Mott MacDonald are a global engineering, management, and development consultancy.

Enhanced parental leave includes:

Enhanced maternity leave: 26 weeks at full pay
Enhanced paternity leave: 2 weeks at full pay
Flexible and hybrid working available across the consultancy

Peak PEO: A people-led EOR provider, consistently delivering friendly, expert, personalised service and support to clients and their employees.

Enhanced parental leave includes:

Enhanced maternity leave: 6 months at full pay
Enhanced paternity leave: 4 months at full pay
One of the most generous paternity leave policies on this list, reflecting a genuine commitment to shared parenting
SAPI: SAPI build, tailor and fund custom financing products. They offer an all-encompassing API for all business credit products. Their mission is to provide liquidity for the global payment ecosystem.
TUI Group: TUI Group is a leading global travel and leisure company, with 1,200 travel agencies, around 130 planes, over 400 hotels, 16 cruise liners, various digital platforms for leisure activities, and a team of over 60,000 talented colleagues worldwide. Their passion is making holiday dreams come true for our 21 million customers.
Veramed: Veramed is a Clinical Research Organisation. This means they support our biotech and pharmaceutical clients with their clinical studies across the drug development lifecycle.
Tombola: Tombola is Britain's biggest online bingo site where players can enjoy unique and award-winning games.
Northern : Northern connect tens of thousands of people in the North of England to work, leisure, education and more every day.

Enhanced parental leave includes:
Enhanced maternity leave: 9 months at full pay, one of the longest offers on this list
Enhanced paternity leave: 2 weeks at full pay
Commitment to flexible working where operationally possible

MBDA: As a leading company in the defence industry, they deliver essential military capabilities for each branch of the Armed Forces - with specific expertise in missiles and missile systems.

Enhanced parental leave includes:

Enhanced maternity leave: up to 26 weeks
Enhanced paternity leave available after 26 weeks of service
Flexible working options available across the business

Anglian Water Services: Anglian Water Services are building a more resilient future. By 2030, they will have prepared two new reservoirs for construction, and their extended strategic pipeline will ensure the region stays resilient to drought. Every step they take is focused on improving the lives of the people they serve.

Enhanced parental leave includes:

Enhanced maternity leave: 26 weeks at full pay
Enhanced paternity leave: 4 weeks at full pay
Flexible working available across operational and office-based roles

FAQs about enhanced maternity and paternity leave

1. What does enhanced maternity and paternity leave mean?
Enhanced maternity and paternity leave refers to companies offering more generous paid leave and flexible return-to-work options than the legal minimum. It’s a sign that an employer values family life and supports working parents.
2. Why is enhanced parental leave important?
Enhanced parental leave helps employees bond with their new child without financial stress. It also promotes gender equality by allowing both parents to take time off and return to work feeling supported and valued.
3. How can I find companies that offer great maternity and paternity benefits?
You can use platforms like Flexa to search for verified family-friendly employers. Flexa highlights companies that prioritise parental support, flexible working, and inclusive policies.
4. Do enhanced parental leave policies apply to all parents?
Many progressive companies now extend enhanced leave policies to all types of parents, including adoptive, same-sex, and surrogate parents. Always check the company’s parental leave policy to understand what’s covered.
5. How do strong parental leave policies benefit employers?
Companies that offer enhanced parental leave see higher employee satisfaction, loyalty, and retention. It also strengthens their employer brand by showing genuine care for their people’s wellbeing and family life.
What is enhanced maternity leave in the UK?
Enhanced maternity leave means an employer offers more generous pay or a longer period of paid leave than the statutory minimum. In the UK, statutory maternity pay covers 39 weeks but only provides full pay for the first six weeks. Enhanced maternity leave typically extends full pay for a longer period, often 16 to 26 weeks or more, giving parents more financial security during a critical time.
What should I look for beyond the number of weeks?
The number of weeks is a starting point, but also check whether the pay is full or partial, whether there is a minimum service requirement before you qualify, and whether the policy is the same for both parents. Day one eligibility, a phased return to work, and keep-in-touch days are also signs of a genuinely family-friendly employer.