11.7 Provide sufficient paternity leave even if it exceeds the legal requirements, ideally equal in length to maternity leave
Content
Description of Best Practices
Provide paternity leave[1] that is equal in length to maternity leave even if it exceeds in-country legal requirements for paternity leave; when this is equal, women face less discrimination in hiring and promotion, and men are able to enjoy their role as fathers and caregivers while enjoying better work/life balance
Encourage fathers to take their full paternity leave benefits to foster a workplace culture that does not stigmatize men for assuming a childcare role in the home
Educate employees about the benefits of paternity leave for men, their families, and the company as a whole through campaigns, active communication, counseling for expecting fathers
Provide paternity leave regardless of marital status, sexual orientation, or any other discriminating factor, including equal leave for fathers who adopt
Implement additional leave or options to close the gap identified by the company’s benefits analysis
Communicate these benefits to all employees
Train supervisors and managers about their role in creating a supportive climate in which employees feel comfortable and encouraged using leave
Encourage company leadership to take appropriate leave to encourage employees to do the same
Create and implement processes to maintain full staffing while employees are on leave
Foster formal flexible work arrangements as an agile and responsive way to enable workers to meet diverse personal and professional goals while maximizing individual contributions to team targets
Challenges of Implementation
Culture may discourage fathers from taking paternity leave
There may exist legal/regulatory hurdles regarding paternity leave
Company culture may discourage men from taking full parental leave, particularly for men in leadership positions
Men may not want to fully take advantage of paternity or parental leave provisions that would enable less care responsibilities for women
There might be discrimination or stigma against providing leave to unmarried employees or same-sex couples.
Business unit is short-staffed and remaining employees must pick up extra duties (which may result in resentment)
Company funds may not be available to pay for the additional leave or extra hours by other employees
What Success Looks Like
The company provides clear guidance to managers/supervisors to manage the preparation of an expected leave and re-entering of the man after his leave
Men’s careers are not penalized or stunted when they use their full maternity leave benefits
Managers/supervisors know it is their responsibility to manage the process and to provide a supportive environment for fathers, who want to take an active role
Fathers use available parental leave with full pay and other benefits
Fathers are encouraged to take their full paternity leave and there is no stigma associated with using these benefits
Business units are supported through such programs as job sharing, hiring temporary workers and cross-functional training to maintain full staffing while employees take leave
Employees are more satisfied with better work-life balance and concern with their personal needs, resulting in improved retention and quality or output of work
The company has campaigns in place to promote paternity leave and showcase role models
Resources and Tools
Guide: Integrating Gender into Workplace Policies (USAID)
Case Study: Paternity Leave ‘Beneficial for Business’ at Indian Power Utility (USAID)
Report/Study: State of the World’s Fathers 2021: Structural Solutions to Achieve Equality in Care Work (Equimundo-US)
Report/Study: The MenCare Parental Leave Platform (MenCare)
Article: Want To Improve Gender Equality At Work? Help Men Take Parental Leave (Mercer)
Article: “No-one asks new dads how they’re feeling at work” (BBC)
Article: More Leave for Dads means Low Turnover for Moms (bizwomen journal)
Article: Paternity Leave Was Crucial After the Birth of My Child, and Every Father Deserves it (New York Times)
Article: Paternity Leave Has Long-Lasting Benefits. So Why Don’t More American Men Take It? (New York Times)
Article: The Benefits of Paternity Leave (Dove)
Article: Why Aren’t More Men Taking Parental Leave? (CircleIn)
[1] PATERNITY LEAVE. A benefit designed to provide fathers of newborn children with paid or unpaid time off from work following the birth of the child. Some companies grant a limited number of days in case of adoption of a child. (Source: Society for Human Resource Management, Glossary of Human Resources Management Terms)