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Deloitte introduced equal parental leave
In a win for equality, the accounting giant Deloitte is to introduce equal parental leave for UK employees.
From 2025, fathers working at the firm will get 26 weeks of fully paid parental leave after the birth of their child, the same as new mothers. The policy, Deloitte said, was introduced to help fathers spend more time with their children and to boost the number of women in its ranks.
“We know that equalising paid parenting leave for all parents is an important step in improving gender equality and in giving families the opportunity to share responsibility right from the early days of parenthood,” said Jackie Henry, a managing partner at the firm.
Henry called on other employers to offer equal parental leave. Some already do, John Lewis, Goldman Sachs and Vodafone among them.
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Dozens of schools went phone-free in England
One of England’s largest academy trusts has announced the phasing out smartphones from its schools.
Ormiston Academies Trust teaches 35,000 children across 42 schools and is rolling out the smartphone ban following a successful trial. “One of our schools has operated like this for a number of years and the approach is really successful and popular with both parents and students,” the trust said in a statement.
It added: “Learning, behaviour and wellbeing are top priorities in our schools, but all can be impacted negatively by smartphones. We want to reduce the risks associated with smartphones in our schools and give young people the freedom to learn, play and socialise without the distraction and social pressures that phones and social media can bring.”
The pushback against smartphones in school is gaining momentum amid research linking them with mental health issues in young children. France is trialling a phone ban at 200 secondary schools, while the Netherlands outlawed the devices at schools in January.
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Vintage clobber conquered London Fashion Week
Preloved clothes are officially in vogue following a star turn for vintage garms at London Fashion Week.
In one show organised by Oxfam, celebrities strutted down the catwalk in preloved clothes styled by the pioneer of thrifting, stylist Bay Garnett.
Actor Kola Bokinni (pictured) and DJ Vick Hope were among those taking part in the Style for Change show. It coincided with new research revealing that 65% of people in the UK own secondhand clothing.
“It definitely feels like there is a real shift happening, where people are finally seeing how fabulous secondhand shopping is, particularly preloved clothing,” said Hope.
“The beauty of shopping in places like Oxfam is that you never know what you might find and it’ll be completely unique; as well as being new to you, these clothes have stories to tell, and more life to live and be loved.”
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New trial could save thousands from prostate cancer
Thousands of men in the UK are set to take part in a major screening trial aimed at revolutionising the treatment of prostate cancer.
The £42m research programme – TRANSFORM – seeks to find the best way to screen men for prostate cancer. There’s currently no screening programme for the disease, despite it killing 12,000 men each year in the UK alone.
Participants will be recruited over the coming months for the trial, which is set to begin in early 2025.
“[Prostate cancer] is the most common cancer that doesn’t have a national screening programme,” said Dr Matthew Hobbs, director of research at Prostate Cancer UK, a charity. “It’s about time that changed.”
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