Extended parental leave comes into effect next month, with parents and guardians receiving 22 weeks of unpaid time off work instead of the 18 weeks previously allowed.  

Roisin Shortall, Co-Leader of the Social Democrats, has urged parents to consider using the additional leave to take a four-day working week to strike a better work-life balance.  

Stephen Teap is a Patient Advocate for Cervical Check. He’s also a single father of two young boys.