There are nearly 80 countries in the world that currently grant their male employees with a guaranteed paid parental leave, along with additional days that they are entitled to request off. United States is one of the major countries not included in this estimate, which goes to show that paid paternity leave is not universally accepted. A common presumption as to why paid parental leave sounds unattractive to businesses is the idea that paid paternity leave will set a business back financially. Another presumption is that paid paternity leave isn’t worth implementing since fathers hardly take it when it’s offered and also because males should prioritize their work first in order to provide for their family. Lastly, companies fear that paternity leave will be taken advantage of by their male
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If the national paid paternity leave policy includes too much paid time off, nothing guarantees that male employees won’t take advantage of the policy or not return to work. Also, if a national paid paternity policy were to be implemented, some male employees might find the policy time frame to not suffice their paternal obligations. There is no guarantee that an employee who feels this way will want to sue a company or quit. To address this conflict, Countries such as the US, need to consider how beneficial a paternity policy can be if it is altered to meet the needs of the average working American male. In other countries such as Iceland, businesses allow up to 120 days paid paternity leave for their male employees. Employees are also entitled to an additional 90 days paid leave if they need it. Although Iceland’s policy sounds a little too good to be true, the highlight that keeps their policy sustainable is that they pay their employees only 80% of their wages while they are on leave, which seems pretty fair for both the employee and the
If the national paid paternity leave policy includes too much paid time off, nothing guarantees that male employees won’t take advantage of the policy or not return to work. Also, if a national paid paternity policy were to be implemented, some male employees might find the policy time frame to not suffice their paternal obligations. There is no guarantee that an employee who feels this way will want to sue a company or quit. To address this conflict, Countries such as the US, need to consider how beneficial a paternity policy can be if it is altered to meet the needs of the average working American male. In other countries such as Iceland, businesses allow up to 120 days paid paternity leave for their male employees. Employees are also entitled to an additional 90 days paid leave if they need it. Although Iceland’s policy sounds a little too good to be true, the highlight that keeps their policy sustainable is that they pay their employees only 80% of their wages while they are on leave, which seems pretty fair for both the employee and the