Paternity Leave, Great for Dads and Family

It wasn’t that long ago that the entire process of birth and caring for a new baby was strictly the role of women. Not until the 1970s did most hospitals even allow the father into the delivery room! Just watch all the old movies where dad was relegated to the waiting room to pace the floors until the nurse brought him the news of the birth. Then, it was the role of grandmothers, aunts and sisters to help the new mom care for the baby once they arrived home. Well, times have certainly changed and fathers are increasing taking an active role in both the birth of their children and their care. The benefits to the whole family are simply enormous when dad takes paternity leave to deeply establish his caring role in the family.

Paternity leave as popular as maternity leave is confirmed by various studies, but the reality of the situation is often different. Unfortunately, the economic results of most company and government policies prevent the vast majority of men from accessing their allowed paternity leave. For almost all, the leave is unpaid, and few families can afford weeks of lost income. The Family and Medical Leave Act, affecting companies with 50 or more employees, allows 12 weeks of unpaid, job protected leave in cases of the birth or adoption of a child. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states, though, that only 11 percent of companies offer a paid leave for mothers and fathers. This makes it tough for dads to actually take that beneficial time off. Most dads cobble together accumulated sick leave or vacation days to spend as much paid time as possible with their families. Odd as it may seem, the United States is one of only four countries around the world that doesn’t have a national law mandating some form of paid leave for families after the birth of a child!

No related posts.