Why paternity leave is a bad idea

Nevertheless, this viewpoint is slowly evolving and employers need to be prepared for this new change. There are more women in the workforce today and a growing number of two working parents, both providing for and sharing the responsibility of child-caring.

This leads to an increase in demand for paid paternity leave. Let us first look at the general pros and cons of paternity leave policies for businesses, starting with the pros:. Gaining Grounds Paternity leave is one of the many voluntary benefit employers can offer but how many of them are generous enough?

An extended paid paternity leave is still considered scarce in Asia. Therefore, providing an extension to this non-traditional benefit will be one of the easiest ways a company can differentiate its brand and establish themselves as a preferred employer. Improve Employee Morale Paid paternity leave provides a form of financial relief to new fathers and creates a positive ripple effect through families. This will indirectly improve employee morale and create a happier workforce overall.

Increase in Productivity New talents such as the Millennials often seek greater work-life balance. Paternity leave incentives help them to manage their role as an employee, a father and a husband. An extension to paid paternity leave also helps them to have sufficient time to care for their new-born, leading to an increase in employee productivity as they would have a better focus on work upon their return.

There are also a few cons, particularly on extension of paternity leaves. Here are the most often cited ones:. Cost Larger corporations can afford to cover the costs and offer the benefit, even an extended version, as a way to attract talents. However, this may not be the case for smaller companies if they are constantly strapped for cash. Since the pandemic, more than 3 million women have left the US labour force. As a result, people are waking up to the economic benefits of larger-scale social support for families.

Mental health is also in the spotlight more than ever. Mandating national paid parental leave would have multiple benefits. There are ways around it — but that could lead to the bill passing without vital guarantees for workers that their jobs would be protected.

Equality Matters. Equality Matters How We Live. Why doesn't the US have mandated paid maternity leave? Share using Email. By Krystin Arneson 29th June The US is the only rich nation offering no national paid parental-leave programme.

Skip to header Skip to main content Skip to footer Feature. Philip Johnston The Telegraph British employers are now supposed to pay new fathers to sit at home dandling their infants, said Philip Johnston. World Best Columns - Europe. COP26 may be the 'highest emitting' UN climate summit so far. Entrepreneur Store. Max Palmer. Skip to content Profile Avatar. Subscribe to Entrepreneur. Magazine Subscriptions. Why a Generous Paternity Leave Policy Can Be Bad for Equality Gender-neutral parental leave policies can be great for women -- but only if fathers take full advantage of the time off.

By Javier Frank July 11, Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Hero Images Getty Images. Written By Javier Frank Javier Frank is digital commerce specialist with a track record of delivering complex, global, multichannel commerce solutions.

He helps clients conceive and execute their commerce strategies across all channels and customer touch points while aligning the brand strategy with critical business processes. More About gender equality.

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