Fathers will be given the right to four weeks’ paternity leave as part of a series of parent-friendly policies to be included in Labour’s election manifesto.

Under the current rules, fathers are allowed to take a fortnight of unpaid time off when their babies are born.

In a bid to outflank the Tories, who have promised to extend flexible working for parents, Gordon Brown wants to double this entitlement. However, with businesses still suffering from the recession, there will still be no requirement for employers to offer paid paternity leave.

The Labour manifesto will also pledge to create a post of “parents’ minister” to champion policies designed to improve the work-life balance.

In a further family-friendly pledge, it will promise that all employees will be given the right to request flexible working.

At present, only parents of children under 16 and carers looking after dependent family members can ask to work part-time.

Bosses will retain the right to turn down requests for flexible working, provided they give reasonable grounds.

Labour policy chiefs are also considering importing a Dutch sabbatical scheme in which employees can build up the right to take extended leave by putting in longer working weeks.

A No 10 source said: “We are keen to press ahead with policies designed specifically to help hard-working families, particularly at times when they are under stress, for example when they have very young children.

“However, we have to be mindful of the current economic situation so we cannot do anything which will add costs on to business.”

The Labour manifesto will merely say it is the party’s “aspiration” to create a new system of fully flexible parental leave where mothers and fathers can both take paid time off.

Mr Brown has previously announced that the mother, for example, might take the first six months off with the father sharing the childcare by taking paid leave for the following three months. At present only mothers receive statutory paid leave.

Business is hostile to having to pay male employees to take time off, so Labour is unlikely to give a guarantee that the system will be introduced in the next parliament.

The party’s strategists have identified young families as a key battleground in the next election. Mark Penn, the American polling guru who advises Labour, said: “For Labour to win, they have to get an overwhelming majority among women and keep the losses among men to a minimum, so the goal here would be to appeal not just to mums through education and healthcare, but to make dads feel a family can make them more economically secure.”

The Conservatives have pledged to give all parents of children under 18 the right to ask for flexible working and are considering a system of shared parental leave.

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