Ask a father-to-be what his priorities are as he prepares for fatherhood and paternity leave tends to feature pretty low on the list.
Among the litany of house tasks and buying baby equipment, learning how to be a birth partner and general excitement (or panic) of having a baby, the time immediately after birth sometimes gets forgotten.
Sure, you know you’ll have time off when the baby comes (won’t you?!) but how long do you get off, why is it important and what on earth do you do when it arrives?
For some couples, the specifics of paternity leave may even be a factor in whether or not they’re able to have a baby.
We’ve put together this guide to help you understand what paternity leave you’re entitled to, why it’s important, and what to do with it.
We're with you every step of the way
Join DaddiLife to get free, monthly updates throughout
pregnancy and the first few years of your child's life.
Table Of Contents
What paternity leave am I father entitled to?
The answer to this question depends on where in the world you live. There are some quite striking differences in paternity leave laws across the globe, ranging from absolutely nothing to a whole year of paid leave.
The UK
In the UK there are currently 2 main options.
Ordinary Paternity Leave (OPL)
Eligible fathers can take up to 2 weeks of Ordinary Paternity Leave. This can be taken as either one continuous period or as separate weeks. OPL must be taken within 56 days of the birth or due date, but it cannot start before the child's birth.
Ordinary Paternity Leave carries a minimum legal pay of just £172.48 per week for the two weeks. And while some employers will continue to provide new fathers with their full pay over the two week period, there are many that will pay the legal minimum requirement.
The Centre of Progressive Policy (CPP) recently confirmed that this is the least generous paternity leave entitlement in Europe, adding that 20% of new dads in the UK find no parental leave options that are suitable for them. And 43% have to return to work before the end of the two-week period because of financial constraints.
Shared Parental Leave (SPL)
In addition to OPL, eligible parents can also share up to 50 weeks of Shared Parental Leave and up to 37 weeks of Shared Parental Pay.
Launched in 2015, Shared Parental Leave was the UK government’s flagship policy to support new mothers back into the workforce. However, uptake has been consistently low - just 3-4% of eligible couples have chosen Shared Parental Leave.
Its biggest criticism is that it requires a new mother to give up her own maternity leave entitlement to allow the father more leave, rather than enhancing parental leave for both parents. Qualifying criteria, lack of knowledge of the policy, and the impact on the father’s pay are also cited as reasons for low uptake.
The US
Despite being one of the richest countries in the world, the US has no federal law that mandates paternity leave or provides paid paternity leave.
Some states, such as California and Washington, have implemented their own paid family leave laws. Otherwise, it is down to individual employers to determine whether or not they wish to pay new fathers while they take paternity leave.
Some fathers may be eligible for unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which allows eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave in a year for certain family and medical reasons, including the birth of a child.
However, FMLA has strict qualifying criteria (such as having worked a certain number of hours) and many employees, particularly those working for smaller businesses, do not meet these criteria.
There has been recent chatter about amending this. Early in 2023, President Biden announced proposed initaitives to improve the current FMLA availability, and increase paid-leave options on a state-by-state basis.Employer-led paternity leave
Although countries like the US and UK lag behind others in their paternity leave provision, a growing number of their employers are aware of the benefits of offering enhanced paternity leave to their employees.
Many organisations are now offering as much as six months paternity leave, sometimes at rates as high as 90% or even 100% of their salary. It is typically multinational companies that are able to offer more progressive because of their larger turnover and profits.
Which country has the best paternity leave?
So if the UK and US’ paternity leave policies leave a lot to be desired, where in the world is getting paternity leave right?
Other governments have placed increased importance on the benefits of offering extensive paid paternity leave, with some countries clearly leading the way in investing in their growing population. Scandinavian and Nordic countries are always mentioned in positive terms and it’s no surprise they perform well with parental and paternity leave.
Sweden
Parents in Sweden are entitled to up to 480 days of paid leave, which can be split as 240 each. 90 of those days are reserved for exclusive use of each parent - meaning the father is guaranteed 3 months paid leave, but can have more if necessary.
Iceland
Icelandic fathers are also entitled to a minimum of 3 months of paid leave, which can be extended by an additional three months if both parents share the parental leave equally.
Norway
Fathers in Norway can take up to 15 weeks of paid leave at full salary or 19 weeks at 80% salary.
South Korea
South Korean families now benefit from the longest parental/paternity leave in the world - with the country offering 18 months of paid leave.
Japan
Fathers in Japan can benefit from 52 weeks - a whole year - of paid paternity leave. The law was recently revised to allow fathers to take up to 4 weeks of paid leave within 8 weeks of their child being born.
Spain
One of the countries leading the way in Europe - Spain saw the value in increasing paternity leave from 4 weeks to 16 weeks in 2021.
While these countries lead the way in terms of paternity leave benefits, it's important to note that progress is being made globally.
We’ll keep an eye on how countries continue to embrace increased benefits for new fathers and parents.
Why is paternity leave important?
"Recognition of men’s right to parenthood, as well as their responsibility to share unpaid care and household work, will help to break down traditional social attitudes, resulting in greater equality for both men and women at work and at home."
- International Labor Organisation report, 2014
Traditional gender roles have the mother as caregiver, and the father as, well, a playmate. The thinking behind this used to make some kind of sense, with ‘hunter-gatherer’ and ‘nurturer’ roles carried forward from the heady days of cave living.
Time has moved on since we first discovered fire, and with it, attitudes towards parenting and rearing a child. The father’s role has come under scrutiny, with some studies on maternal instinct suggesting that while it certainly exists, it’s something that “comes from intense closeness…spending hours with and thinking about the child”. Something that isn’t exclusive to the mother.
All of which is good news for new families. The shifting understanding and changing views of newer generations have put renewed focus on how much time the father should spend with their children - especially in early years.
This thinking has led to mandated Paternity Leave: the ability to take time off work after the birth or adoption of a child. This time is important to help promote gender equality and allow society, as well as the parents themselves, to acknowledge the key role that fathers play in their children’s lives.
Take-up has increased. In the 1970’s, paternal leave was nearly unheard of. Come 1994, only 40 countries had some form of paternal leave as governmental policy. By 2015, this had increased to 84 countries.
Covid expedited the changing attitudes towards parental responsibility. Not only did many employers face an entirely remote workforce, proving that flexible working was achievable, but both parents were able to spend more time around their children.
This was especially pertinent among fathers of newborns during lockdown, who got to experience more than two weeks around their new child. This allowed closer bonding and a general increase in shared domestic and parental duties.
Jon, from the DaddiLife team, experienced this first-hand:
“My son was born in November 2017 and I had the traditional two-week paternity leave. I also saved up most of my annual leave for the year so that I could take three weeks off over Christmas. I can remember the first day back, I felt sick to my stomach at the idea of leaving my baby for the day. And when I came home, I was desperate to hold him but he just wanted his mum. That was after one day of being back at work.
“Fast-forward nearly three years and my daughter was born in July 2020 at the height of the Covid pandemic. I’d already been on furlough for three-months, so I’d never felt such a close bond with my son. I’d just returned to work on a part-time basis (‘flexible furlough’ they called it) before my daughter was born so I didn’t bother taking ‘paternity leave’. I was working two-days a week, and they were at home. I didn’t return to full-time work at home for another four months.
“So, I was able to spend an infinitely more amount of time with my daughter than I did with my son. In those first few months of her life, I felt a much closer connection and bond with her than I did with my son at that age. I felt like I knew her better. I had a better understanding of what she wanted and needed because I was used to her cries.”
It also had a positive effect on both parent's wellbeing. The World Economic Forum surveyed parents in Spring 2019 and Spring 2020 (at the height of the first lockdown). Perhaps surprisingly, there was a marked increase in overall satisfaction with their life, relationship and parental experience. They also felt less anxious.
Source: World Economic Forum
Parents who spend more time around their children, especially in the early years, tend to be closer to their partner, more connected to their child and more involved with domestic life - leading to an increased sense of well-being.
What should paternity leave look like?
In the UK, the current two weeks on offer has been in place for 20 years - coming into law in 2003. In the following two decades, Myspace has come and gone, centre-partings have come back into fashion and the internet has transformed the way we communicate. Just 18% of Brits think two weeks of paternity leave or less is enough
This existing setup merely continues the status-quo. It feels more like a two week concession to make sure mothers are setup and ready to go for the fathers return to work, instead of an opportunity for the family-unit to bond.
It's time for change.
We recently added our support to a campaign launched by our friends at Pregnant Then Screwed which calls on the UK government to give all new working dads access to a minimum of six week's paternity leave paid at 90% of their wage or salary.
A better paternity leave (and indeed maternity leave) is not just an emotional cause, it benefits the family unit, family finances and the wider economy. The CPP's research on the subject concluded that the proposed increase in paternity leave would result in a £23 million boost to the UK economy by closing gender pay gaps and enabling mothers to get back to work.
Paternity leave inspiration
What can you do with that precious time? Whether it’s two weeks or six - it flies by if you’re not careful. Google ‘what to do on paternity’ and you’ll mainly find a list of 'practical things that you Must Do As a New Dad'. From putting up shelves, to preparing the nursery, to getting baby-proofing sorted. It’s all very 'manly'.
While it's true - you do want the home to be ready - hopefully all the practical stuff will have been done prior to your new arrival. Paternity leave should allow you the time to focus on learning about becoming a parent and bonding with your baby. This means you should enjoy it, as well as support your partner.
Here are some ideas about what to do during this valuable time.
Get out regularly
Make sure baby is covered (and wrapped up) and pop them in the pram and go for a local walk. Getting accustomed to leaving the house will help you both in the weeks to come. It’s also incredibly important to make sure you get fresh air and a small bit of exercise, as well as introduce baby to the wider world.
Join in a class
There are a multitude of parent and toddler groups - from Baby Sensory, yoga, and baby pub quizzes (obviously aimed at the parents, not the babies). Book one of them and go along with your partner, meet other parents and start enjoying life as a family.
These are traditionally aimed at ‘Mothers and Toddlers’ but there is an increasing number of Dad Groups out there. Use Google to search for ones near you - and if none show up, why not start your own? You might be surprised how much interest there is. And it means you can…
Connect with other dads
Becoming a parent is a minefield of emotions. While there is much out there to support new mums, it can be hard for dads who may feel they need to support their partner, without knowing who to speak to about their own struggles.
Connecting with other dads locally - you’ll almost certainly bump into them in the park - is a great way of sharing your experiences and realise that you’re not alone. It also sets up the potential for play dates!
Be with your child
This may sound obvious, but enjoy the time together. Read and sing to them. Help introduce them to the world - and to your voice. The first few weeks can be especially wonderful.
FAQs
Why is paternity leave so low?
Parental leave laws and policies are largely based upon the traditional gender roles that place a mother as the 'nurturer' and primary caregiver, while a father is a 'provider'. For decades, it was (and to an extent still is) a societal norm that the mother stays home to look after the child while the father goes out to work.
Will paternity leave laws change in major economies?
That is certainly the hope, but it's almost impossible to predict when and to what extent. Early in 2023, US president Joe Biden announced proposals to enhance the Family and Medical Leave Act, allowing greater access to parental leave. In the UK, our friends Pregnant Then Screwed has launched a campaign for fathers to get a minimum of six weeks' leave at 90% of their pay.
Why is more paternity leave a good thing for working mothers?
Allowing new fathers more time with their baby helps to reposition their role from a provider to an equal caregiver. That, in turn, provides new working mothers greater flexibility to be more than just a 'nurturer'. It gives them greater opportunity to return to work and continue their career progression.
