The Benefits of Paternity Leave for Dads, Moms, and Children

Paternity leave could change the world. A small mountain of peer-reviewed studies and white papers, and statistics backs the idea that having access to paid leave could do nothing short of that. And yet, everything seems to go sideways when the rubber meets the road. “Taking leave is not normative,” says Richard Petts, a sociologist who specializes in research on parental leave , when explaining the paternity leave statistics that show how few men actually take more than a week of paid leave. He saw why first-hand when he struggled to get time off after the birth of his own child and cobbled together some sick days and the break of a semester in order to do it. He realized, in other words, that he was like many millions of men who didn’t have good access to real paternity leave. But more than that, his work led him to understand that even when dads do have access to federal paid leave, they often don’t take it. Fatherly is committed to improving the lives of working parents . Learn more about how we partner with employers to promote better workplace policies and practices here . This is a problem. Men who take leave have stronger relationships with their wives, a better bond with their children , and more appreciation for the running of their household. But the small proportion of men who do take full advantage of leave are disproportionately wealthy, white, salaried workers. And even they report feeling discriminated against for taking the time. So what can be done to tackle…