A fresh look at paternity leave: Why the benefits extend bey...

A fresh look at paternity leave: Why the benefits extend beyond the personal

The cultural context around paternity leave is changing, as more countries and companies are offering the benefit to new fathers. Worldwide, 90 out of 187 countries offer statutory paid paternity leave,2 with almost four in ten organizations (38 percent) providing paid leave above the statutory minimum.3 In OECD countries, men’s use of parental lea... See more

Karl Moore • A fresh look at paternity leave: Why the benefits extend beyond the personal

More countries and orgs offer paid paternity leave - yet dads are not taking all of it

Paternity leave can help bring about very strong relationships with children over time. In some instances, according to our respondents, the time spent at home allowed fathers to develop what they characterized as a “special” bond that would last for years to come. In a world where nearly half of fathers report dissatisfaction with the amount of ti... See more

Karl Moore • A fresh look at paternity leave: Why the benefits extend beyond the personal

Paternity leave establishes and strengthens the child-parent bond

The benefits of paternity leave begin in the home. Ninety percent of the men we interviewed noticed an improvement in their relationship with their partner. And their partners also felt that the support was critical to forging a stronger bond. “I think I would have resented him if he had been at work and I would have had to do all of this alone,” o... See more

Karl Moore • A fresh look at paternity leave: Why the benefits extend beyond the personal

Paternity leave leads to better outcomes for the parents relationships

Indeed, research indicates that longer periods of paternal leave are associated with more frequent engagement in developmental tasks and caretaking during the first few years of children’s lives.

Karl Moore • A fresh look at paternity leave: Why the benefits extend beyond the personal

Increased length of paternity leave = more involved in care and household duties

Those choices can also create financial benefits for families. Paternity leave reduces the gender wage gap within households by increasing mothers’ wages in the short term and helping to increase total household financial well-being in the long term.11 Research conducted on roughly 9,000 families observed parental pay one year prior to childbirth a... See more

Karl Moore • A fresh look at paternity leave: Why the benefits extend beyond the personal

Paternity leave reduces the gender wage gap by up to 7%

Studies also show that a father’s increased involvement in baby care can mitigate maternal postpartum-depression outcomes. A study of how paternity leave affects maternal postpartum depression showed that a lack of paternal involvement was a significant predictor of the intensity of depressive symptoms.7 It is important to note that mothers’ improv... See more

Karl Moore • A fresh look at paternity leave: Why the benefits extend beyond the personal

Dads involved in the care of a new infant increase health outcomes for mothers

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).

Clar... See more

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

Paternity leave can level the playing field for working mothers. Many fathers emerged from the experience feeling like “being at home, with a strong presence of mind, allowed me to reduce stress on my wife and for her to return to the workforce earlier.” As one father put it, “It’s not just about getting to know your kids at a crucial age but also ... See more

Karl Moore • A fresh look at paternity leave: Why the benefits extend beyond the personal

Paternity leave helped increase mother’s likelihood of returning to work (earlier). And less negative impact on careers (both parents)