The benefits of fathers taking parental leave, such as closer bonds with, and greater involvement in raising, their children; as well as a decreased risk of postpartum depression for mothers and a lower rate of divorce have been the subject of an increasing number of studies in the last 20 years.
Despite this, only 26 of the worlds richest 41 countries offer mandatory paid paternity leave (Unicef 2019) – and the degree to which it is offered varies greatly. Among those wealthy countries, English-speaking countries rank particularly poorly.
| Country | Mother / Primary care-giver | Father / Co-parent | |||
| UK | 52 weeks (39 paid) | 2 weeks | |||
| Australia | 18 weeks paid | 2 weeks | |||
| United States | 12-18 weeks unpaid | 0 | |||
| Canada | 15 weeks reserved | + 35 which can be shared | 5 weeks reserved |
In contrast, Scandinavia is well known for its family-friendly government policies. In Sweden, for example, the father (or non-birthing co-parent) is automatically entitled to 10 days of leave after a birth or adoption. Of the additional 480 days available per child, 90 days are reserved exclusively for each parent and cannot be transferred regardless of who is the primary caregiver during the early years. Canada has also followed this model with a portion of parental leave reserved for each parent.
Despite this, mothers in Sweden still take the majority of parental leave with fathers now taking a national average of 30% (including 18.75% which is the compulsory, non-transferable allowance), reflecting the complex social factors which impact the uptake of paternity leave beyond that which is legislated.
Emily Mei Carter is an organisational identity and future of work strategist at Ecosphere Consulting. Her vision is for a world where no system causes harm through bad design. Emily’s goal is to modernise the workplace systems we take for granted, eliminating the excuse that we do things ‘the way they’ve always been done’, and helping to build values-driven organisations which enable individuals to reach their full positive potential – the key to sustainable success.So, in the absence of changes to mandated and state-funded leave, here are 5 ways that organisations can contribute to a better future of work by improving gender equality in parental leave policies and increasing uptake of paternity leave by Emily.
Enforce a minimum parental leave policy
Just because paternity leave is available, doesn’t mean that it will be used, especially if the leave offered is unpaid or if men feel it will negatively impact their chances of career progression.
Companies can implement a gender-equal parental leave policy internally, regardless of what is mandated by the state – for example a minimum, compulsory (paid) parental leave period for all employees who have or adopt a child.
Lead by example
Do what I do, not what I say – make sure that the men in your leadership or executive team embody your values and prioritise time with their families. This may range from taking paternity leave to occasionally being seen as the one picking their children up early or caring for sick children.
If the men in the leadership team are seen by their employees as leaving childcare primarily to female partners, fathers lower down in the organisation will feel pressured to do the same.
Ensure gender equality in salaries
Even when equal leave is technically available, many families still see women taking more parental leave because it makes better financial sense for the family. The only way out of this in the future is closing the gender pay gap.
Many fathers feel responsible for returning to work quickly and supporting their family financially, while many women feel that it makes sense for them to sacrifice more time from their careers as the lower-income earner. In countries where the cost of childcare is high, this situation is exacerbated as women may choose to stay out of the workforce for several years.
Flexible hours
Implement asynchronous working systems so that parents are able to balance work and childcare responsibilities without one parent (often the mother) needing to reduce their working hours to cope – this goes hand in hand with closing the gender pay gap.
While needs-based flexibility can be complex, a simple way to begin this journey is with a core-working-hours policy which allows for individual flexibility before and after (for example, a core workday of 10am to 2pm). The core hours chosen can also help to coordinate teams spread across multiple time zones.
Cross-gender mentoring programs
Help improve empathy and understanding throughout the organisation by implementing cross-gender mentorship programs which foster understanding of the challenges faced by the opposite sex, particularly as gender norms change from generation to generation.
