Wednesday, June 11th is no ordinary day. It’s the day dads across the UK will take a stand—for our kids, our partners, and ourselves.
We’re calling it the DadStrike. And whether you join the picket line outside the Department for Business and Trade or simply do the school or nursery pickup, this is our moment to show what modern fatherhood really looks like.
“I had to go back to work just two weeks after my first child was born. Still sleep-deprived. Still figuring out how to hold a baby. Still watching my partner go through the hardest time of her life. And I had to leave.”
— Marvyn Harrison, self-employed dad of two
Why We’re Doing This
Let’s be real: the UK’s paternity leave offer is appalling. Two weeks of leave, paid at less than half minimum wage—and absolutely nothing for self-employed dads. It’s the worst in Europe. And it’s not just bad policy—it’s bad parenting.
It means most of us return to work before we’ve had a chance to bond with our babies, support our partners, or even catch our breath. We hustle, we juggle, we stretch ourselves thin—and still, we miss out. On milestones. On memories. On time we can’t get back.
New research from The Dad Shift shows that the average UK dad gets just 43% of the waking hours mums get with their baby in the first year. That’s not equality. That’s absence. And 62% of us say our biggest regret is not being there more during that first year.
“Those first months are all pressure, exhaustion and the feeling that you can’t win. I was either letting my new family down, my work, or usually both. That’s how I ended up with my 20-day-old baby sat on top of my keyboard while I worked.”
— Pete Target, dad of one
The Power of Showing Up
The DadStrike is inspired by women’s strikes around the world—from Iceland to Sierra Leone—where people withheld labour to make a point. But this time, we’re not stepping back from care. We’re stepping into it.
If you can, join us in London for a family-friendly picket line outside the Department for Business and Trade. We’ll be there with kids in tow, holding placards and painting faces. If you can’t make it? Do the pickup. School, nursery, wherever your little one is—we want thousands of dads doing it together.
It’s not about praise. It’s about presence. And protest.
“The UK’s paternity leave system means from the day our kids arrive most fathers are forced to make an impossible choice—between going out to work and provide for our families, and providing them with the one thing that matters most: our presence.”
— George Gabriel, Co-Founder, The Dad Shift
What We’re Asking For
We’re calling on the Department for Business and Trade to reform the UK’s statutory paternity leave. We need more than two weeks. We need it to be paid fairly. And we need support for self-employed dads, too.
Because every family deserves the chance to share the load.
Because every child deserves two active, involved parents.
Because our partners need partners, not bystanders.
“It’s a sad state of affairs when the UK is higher up the Eurovision results board than it is the paternity leave table.”
— Joe Mackay-Sinclair, CEO of The Romans
What You Can Do
📅 Take the afternoon off on June 11th. Use holiday, time in lieu, or just log off early.
👨👧 Join the picket or do the pickup. Show up with your kids or for your kids.
📝 Sign up at www.dadstrike.com to be counted.
📣 Share it. Tell other dads. Ask your boss. Post about it. Get loud.
Hundreds of employers—from big agencies like The Romans to trade-focused orgs like On The Tools—are already on board, giving dads time off and supporting the movement. We’re building something big. And we need you in it.
“Fathers working in construction already have enough to worry about: long hours, physically demanding jobs, and unpredictable schedules. Add in one of the worst paternity leave systems in Europe, and it’s no wonder dads feel like they’re missing out.”
— Lee Wilcox, CEO of On The Tools
Final Word
This isn’t just a protest. It’s a promise—to our kids and ourselves—that fatherhood matters. That we deserve to be there. That our families are better when we are.
So, dads, ask yourself: Picket or Pickup?
Whatever you choose—just show up.
Because this Father’s Day, it’s time to do more than get socks.
It’s time to get change.
👉 Join the movement: www.dadstrike.com
📲 Follow @TheDadShift on socials
📸 Share your story using #DadStrike and #PicketOrPickup
