European Union (EU) leaders have agreed on a directive mandating that fathers, including those in same-sex partnerships, be allowed to take at least 10 working days of paid paternity leave in a bid to boost equality.
The directive is now awaiting the approval of the EU’s 28 member states, according to ABC Business.
Marius-Constantin Budai, Minister of Labour and Social Justice of Romania, said: “It gives a huge boost to promoting equality of women and men across the EU. This directive will encourage the participation of women in the labour market and the equal sharing of care responsibilities between women and men. It will also contribute to closing the gender gap in earnings and pay.”
New mothers in EU countries currently receive a required minimum 14-weeks of paid maternity leave.
In Scandinavian countries, meanwhile, mandated paternity leave has proven successful in persuading fathers to take time off to spend time with their children. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reported that the move led to a doubling in the number of parental leave days used by men in Iceland and Sweden.
The OECD also found that if new fathers take time off work, the situation can help to combat recruitment discrimination against women as employers begin to see both genders as equally likely to take parental leave.
Richard Petts, a Ball State sociology professor who co-authored the study, told KWBE: “Given that burdens of housework and childcare often disproportionately fall on mothers, taking paternity leave — and longer leaves — may help to promote a more equitable division of labour in families and help mothers to feel that is fair.”
The US, meanwhile, appears to be lagging behind the rest of the developed world. The OECD pointed out that it was the only advanced industrialised nation that did not guarantee paid leave for new parents.
Instead it is left up to employers to decide how much — if any — paid parental leave to allow. The median length of paternity leave for dads in the US is one week, according to Pew.
Emma Woollacott is a freelance business journalist. Her work has appeared in a wide range of publications, including the Guardian, the Times, Forbes and the BBC.
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European Union (EU) leaders have agreed on a directive mandating that fathers, including those in same-sex partnerships, be allowed to take at least 10 working days of paid paternity leave in a bid to boost equality.
The directive is now awaiting the approval of the EU’s 28 member states, according to ABC Business.
Marius-Constantin Budai, Minister of Labour and Social Justice of Romania, said: “It gives a huge boost to promoting equality of women and men across the EU. This directive will encourage the participation of women in the labour market and the equal sharing of care responsibilities between women and men. It will also contribute to closing the gender gap in earnings and pay.”
New mothers in EU countries currently receive a required minimum 14-weeks of paid maternity leave.
In Scandinavian countries, meanwhile, mandated paternity leave has proven successful in persuading fathers to take time off to spend time with their children. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reported that the move led to a doubling in the number of parental leave days used by men in Iceland and Sweden.
The OECD also found that if new fathers take time off work, the situation can help to combat recruitment discrimination against women as employers begin to see both genders as equally likely to take parental leave.
Richard Petts, a Ball State sociology professor who co-authored the study, told KWBE: “Given that burdens of housework and childcare often disproportionately fall on mothers, taking paternity leave — and longer leaves — may help to promote a more equitable division of labour in families and help mothers to feel that is fair.”
The US, meanwhile, appears to be lagging behind the rest of the developed world. The OECD pointed out that it was the only advanced industrialised nation that did not guarantee paid leave for new parents.
Instead it is left up to employers to decide how much — if any — paid parental leave to allow. The median length of paternity leave for dads in the US is one week, according to Pew.
Emma Woollacott is a freelance business journalist. Her work has appeared in a wide range of publications, including the Guardian, the Times, Forbes and the BBC.
OTHER STORIES THAT MAY INTEREST YOU
UK parents fail to understand eligibility for shared leave
Are fathers eligible for paid paternity leave in Ireland?
How much shared parental leave are Sinaporean men entitled to?
