Dads Deserve Days Off

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Currently, the only mandated option for fathers in the U.S. is through the utilization of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

What is the Family and Medical Leave Act?

FMLA provides eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year. Often, men do not want to use FMLA when a baby is born because they can’t afford to take unpaid leave. In most companies, leave benefits primarily benefit mothers.

To put things into perspective, the U.S. Department of Labor found that,

While survey data shows that nine out of ten U.S. fathers take some time off work for the birth or adoption of a child, seventy percent of fathers take ten days of leave or less.

This statistic highlights an opportunity for improvement, encouraging companies to be more mindful of their policies and provide expecting fathers with adequate paid time off.

How Many Companies Offer Paid Paternity Leave?

While the U.S. is making strides in parental leave benefits, there is still room for improvement to match the standards of other countries.

Currently, U.S. companies are not mandated to pay their employees during parental leave. In fact, according to a report by the Society for Human Resource Management, only 25% of U.S. employers offer paid paternity leave.

Globally, countries like Japan set a high standard with their generous paternal packages, offering both men and women 12 months of paid time off to bond with their newborns. This approach, adopted by many countries, ensures employees receive ample paid time off. The ongoing discussion continues about whether the change should be driven by employers or policy reforms.

How to Modernize HR Policies to Allow Men to Take Paternity Leave

Society is evolving by the minute, and many HR policies are following a similar speed. In terms of paternity leave, a vast number of benefits come with giving an adequate amount of paid time off. Here are a few advantages employers should consider when revisiting their paternity leave policies.

Employee Retention

One significant advantage of providing employees with paid paternity leave is that it greatly increases employee retention. Additionally, when fathers are more present after the birth of their child, it helps the mother return to work quicker.

Employee Wellbeing

From an employee wellbeing perspective, paternity leave enhances the quality of their relationship with their newborn child and strengthens their marriage, contributing to a happier and more stable family life.

1. Rewrite Your Policy

One of the most impactful actions a company can take is to proactively address the issue at its core. Lakeside’s expert HR consultants  suggest reviewing your employee handbook and considering a rewrite of the paternity leave policy. By revising the policy, we can enhance its benefits for fathers, enabling them to take sufficient paid time off to support their families effectively.

2. Stay Ahead of Trends

At Lakeside HR, we proactively research societal changes that could affect both the HR industry and your company. Our clients appreciate our commitment to identifying potential compliance issues early, ensuring they are informed and prepared well in advance.

3. Listen

Your employees are the best way to gain insight into areas of your company’s HR policies. Encouraging them to share their opinions, anonymously or otherwise, provides you, as an employer, with valuable information on areas that may benefit from policy review.