A fresh look at paternity leave: Why the benefits extend beyond the personal
mckinsey.com
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A fresh look at paternity leave: Why the benefits extend beyond the personal
While offering paid leave and building a culture that supports it may come at an added cost to employers, the fathers we spoke with showed how it can also increase employee engagement and retention. According to McKinsey research on how leaders can improve employee experience post-COVID-19, companies should target the smallest possible groups, incl... See more
Wahi Diome-Deer • A fresh look at paternity leave: Why the benefits extend beyond the personal
Paternity leave can increase employee retention and engagement
After fathers return from leave, many would love to stay just as involved in their children’s lives. Introducing more flexible work arrangements would allow employees, including men, to fulfill more of their family duties (for instance, arranging meetings around taking their children to school or providing time to attend doctor’s appointments).
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Wahi Diome-Deer • A fresh look at paternity leave: Why the benefits extend beyond the personal
Returning dads need support and flexibility to remain involved in their child’s life
Creating an environment where leave does not negatively affect promotions would be ideal. And, at a minimum, increasing transparency about the impact that paternity leave has on career trajectory and promotion timeline would be a valuable starting point. As one father noted, it is hard when there are “not many men taking time off, and managers and ... See more
Wahi Diome-Deer • A fresh look at paternity leave: Why the benefits extend beyond the personal
Clarify impact on career trajectory when establishing enhanced paternity leave
Creating an encouraging culture in which taking paternity leave is normalized and men can share their positive experiences is pivotal. Fathers in our survey felt that having the right policy in place wasn’t sufficient if the work culture looked down on them for taking time off. Some pointed out that in many cases “the company was supportive, but th... See more
Wahi Diome-Deer • A fresh look at paternity leave: Why the benefits extend beyond the personal
The right policies are not enough - org culture needs to support dads taking leave
While fathers do not go through the same physical strains as birth mothers (recognizing that some mothers have their children through adoption, surrogacy, etcetera), spending time at home to bond with their child and their partner is critical. Providing a longer paid-leave period, offering more flexibility in the timing of the leave period, or incr... See more
Wahi Diome-Deer • A fresh look at paternity leave: Why the benefits extend beyond the personal
Redress the imbalance between maternity and paternity leave
In short, it’s possible for employees to be better fathers and better partners while also being inspiring leaders. The fathers we spoke with unanimously agreed that the upsides of improving relationships or prioritizing family more than outweigh the risks of slowing down their careers. All of them said that they would take paternity leave again, an... See more
Karl Moore • A fresh look at paternity leave: Why the benefits extend beyond the personal
All dads found the many upsides outweighed any downsides career-wise
Many men also felt that their leave-taking could inspire others to make similar choices. One said that he enjoyed being an example “to friends and family that a successful male can proudly take paternity leave.”
Karl Moore • A fresh look at paternity leave: Why the benefits extend beyond the personal
Take paternity leave loudly and proudly
With a renewed sense of priorities, some fathers started to make positive changes in their work lives. One said that it led to “changing my network to work more closely with other parents who have similar focus, identifying sponsors who can help plan a path back that balances both family and career.” Some suggested that taking paternity leave may h... See more
Karl Moore • A fresh look at paternity leave: Why the benefits extend beyond the personal
Paternity leave allows dads to step back and get perspective on their careers and current jobs (in a positive way)
Many of the fathers we interviewed said that they felt more motivated after taking leave and that they were considering staying in their organization longer. They also said that the leave led them to change the way they work, becoming more productive and prioritizing their time better. “Having kids made me very aware of how valuable my time is and ... See more
Karl Moore • A fresh look at paternity leave: Why the benefits extend beyond the personal
Parents know how to manage their time better!