With a growing recognition of parental leave as important for families and the retention of talented employees, businesses are working to offer more modern parental leave policies than ever before.
But what does that mean in practice? Here are 4 trends for parental leave that you might want to implement at your business.
Offer it to Dads
Thanks to Mark Zuckerberg and other trailblazing dads, parental leave for fathers is becoming more and more common. Research shows benefits to both children and their spouses if men take the time off. Etsy has taken the lead with a 26 week, gender neutral parental leave policy. You don’t have to go as far as Etsy to encourage fathers to take time off. And with statistics showing that 89% of fathers saying it’s important for a company to offer paternal leave,this is a trend you should be taking note of.
Encourage Men to Take the Time Off
Even though research shows that dads want to take parental leave, corporate culture has yet to catch up. There’s a stigma in many places towards paternal leave. Many men are afraid that taking the time off will show they aren’t committed to their work and ultimately hurt their careers. That’s why you need an official paternity leave policy and encourage fathers to take it. Once a couple of trailblazers take the leave, research shows many other male colleagues are likely to follow suit.
Provide Post-Leave Support
Raising a child doesn’t end after parental leave. Many workplaces are offering other support to help with the difficulty of raising a family. These programs include backup care, flexible work arrangements, and childcare resources and referral programs. This is important not only because childcare is expensive, but also that employees are likely to cut back on hours or even leave work because of family responsibilities.
Remove the Stigma for Women too
Men aren’t the only ones who suffer from stigma when it comes to parental leave. Women are also worried that taking the time off will damage their career prospects, especially when their male counterparts aren’t taking any leave. Research shows that those who take maternity have less job security, are paid less and are less likely to be promoted in the long run. That’s why encouraging men to take their parental leave too is so important. It has been shown to reduce the impact of maternal leave on women’s career while also delivering the benefits mentioned above. So get your male employees at home with their babies for everyone's benefit.
