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Paternity leave for fathers
Paternity leave for fathers
A debate on the advantages of paternity leave
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fathers get paid paternity leave from work?
Introduction
In recent years there has been a lot of controversy as to whether or not fathers ought to get paid paternity leave from work for their family due to the fact that it can decrease long term family issues. This issue is controversial because many believe that this will benefit families early on and later in life. While others believe that it’s not the employer's duty to accommodate fathers for paid paternity leave.
In my opinion, all fathers should be entitled to paid parental leave from their employer. I strongly believe this because I am a father and I recognize the benefits and health effects it could have on a family if the mother doesn’t have proper time to recuperate. In addition, I feel
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A man should be entitled to the same benefits as a woman when it comes to the responsibility such as child rearing. Research’s have associated father paternity leaves with an increase in father engagement and bonding. According to “one study of working fathers in the U.S., those who took leaves of two weeks or more were much more likely to be actively involved in their child’s care nine months after birth – including feeding, changing diapers, and getting up in the night. Studies from other countries have confirmed that fathers who take more paternity leave have higher satisfaction with parenting and increased engagement in caring for their children” (http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health/fathers-leave-fathers-involvement-and-child-development_5k4dlw9w6czq-en). According to research, fathers typically take time off, but take very short leaves. 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
The concepts that Kathleen Genson discusses reinforces the analysis Kramer presented in Chapter 4 “The Family and Intimate Relationships” of The Sociology of Gender. First and foremost, both authors would agree that family is a structure that institutionalizes and maintains gender norms. Both authors would also agree that “families tend to be organized around factors that the individual members cannot control.” In Genson’s chapter “Dilemmas of Involved Fatherhood,” the most prominent forces are the economy and social expectations, both listed and explained by Kramer. Genson’s explanation of how it is unfeasible for men to withdraw from the workforce and focus more time and energy on being involved fathers is an example of the economic factors.
This policy allows working couples to choose how they balance their work and parenting commitment to their new baby. The first two weeks are reserved for the mother but the remaining fifty weeks can be shared between both parents (Glegg, Swinson, 2013).This will definitely give chance to fathers to bond with their infants on an equal footing with the mother. Sarkadi, et al (2007) also suggests that policies should be made that fathers of young children may choose to do part time jobs so they can have time with their
Overall the Family and Medical Leave Act has raised many issues on whether leave should be encourage and/or paid for by the employers. As of today, no haven policy has been enacted to tackle the challenges surrounding this issue, but positive steps have been taken and one day there will be no question that hard working employees will get the rights they
To go into more detail, the typical role of the father as far as childcare is concerned is usually to go to work so that he can receive the income to provide for his family. That’s not to say every family is like this but majority of people would consider this to be normal. Not only are males usually linked with providing income but they are also usually correlated with the act of discipline within the home. I think it’s safe to say that anyone who has ever heard these words “wait until your father...
Balancing work and family is a concern of parents’ around the world. It not only concerns mother’s, it concern’s fathers. It is a societal norm that the mother is the “caregiver” and the father is “breadwinner.” With the feminist movement, things began to change, giving women additional educational and employment opportunities; therefore, millions of women entered the workforce. This shift required a change in attitude, as it implied new roles for men, which promoted shared parental responsibility. Sweden was the first country in the world to introduce parental leave, giving both parents the right to stay home with their children. According to Carlson (2013), “Fundamentally, Sweden’s parental leave insurance policy is not just about providing individual families with resources to make choices about employment and caregiving; it is a social policy with the defined aim of increasing gender equality for the Swedish people” (p. 65). It is asserted that Sweden’s government developed the parental leave policy to address; participation and wage equity in the workforce; and to promote gender equality in care giving (Carlson, 2013, p. 63).
Fatherhood is a common experience for adult men. More than 90 percent of all men get married and of that percentage, 90 percent have children (Snarey 3). John Snarey writes that there are five elements that all fathers must apply to their parenting. First, the father must be present at childbirth. This sets the stage for the father's involvement in childcare for years to come. If the father is not present at the delivery, he is more likely to not be present while the child grows up. Second, the father must be home and available to their child while they are awake. On average, mothers are available three times the amount that father's are to their children (Snarey 33).
The IWF has found that when women take leave for their family, men are able to gain experience and therefore more earnings (Cooper). According to Lydia Frank from the Harvard Business Review, “...the largest pay gaps existed between married mothers and fathers who tell us they prioritize family at least 1-4 times per year. No pay gap existed between single men and women without children who said they never prioritize home/family over work.” The causes of the gender pay gap can be easily fixed if the government takes
The United States is one of three industrialized countries that do not have policies put in place that mandate companies to provide paid parental leave. In 1993, U.S President, Bill Clinton, enacted the family and medical leave act (FMLA) which allows for employees to take unpaid, job-protected leave for up to twelve weeks for medical reasons if their employer has more than fifty employees employed at the company. Later on in January of 2015, President Barack Obama signed an executive order that entitles federal employees for up to six weeks of paid sick days to take care of a newborn child or an adopted child. Currently there are only three states in the United States with paid parental leave policies which are California, New Jersey and Rhode Island. As of right now, only those employers who
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was passed in 1993 and allows employees to take unpaid leave for up to 12 workweeks in any 12 month period because of any of the following reasons: the birth or adoption of a child, for the care of a family member with a serious health condition, or because the employee’s own serious health conditions makes the employee unable to perform the functions of her or her job. This paper will discuss the advantages and disadvantages to both the employer and the employee concerning this act. The current use of FMLA and management concerns over the FMLA will also be discussed.
Currently in the United States, under The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, the federal government mandates a minimum of 12 weeks unpaid maternity leave to mothers who have a newborn or have newly adopted a child. Whether or not an employer chooses to pay the mother during this time is left to their discretion. This law only applies to about 50 -60 percent of working mothers due to firm size and duration of employment requirements. Currently, only 11 percent of private sector workers have access to paid maternity leave in the United States. The U.S. is the only industrialized nation that doesn’t mandate paid maternity leave to women. (Stearns, 2015)
With no pay and the risk of losing their jobs--if additional time is requested--parents return to work in as little as two weeks after the birth of a child. This results in the absence of one or both parents during the most crucial part of a child’s life—the first year of life. Ultimately, it is the children who will suffer. The events that take place in the early years of a child life, as well as the people that surround, will influence who they become. Children need love and guidance from their parents. Babies can learn so much, parents have the time to teach them and watch them grow. It is their duty as well as their rights as parents to enjoy the first moments of life with their children. Susan J. Douglas says, “The first five years of life are so crucial to cognitive and emotional development” (Douglas Par 8). Parents often send their babies to daycare at too young of an age because they are expected to return to work and have no other choice. Others quit their job because they do not want their babies to go to daycare. This creates a financial strain on families and has lasting effects on the newborn and other young children in the home. Sharon Lerner says, “Paid parental leave frees mothers and fathers from choosing between their careers and time with their infants” (Lerner 20). Paid family leave alleviates a great deal of stress for parents who are expecting. It makes starting a family less frightening because families have enough money and time to adjust with their new lives before returning to work. This makes workers less likely to call out of upon returning and more likely to be focused on the
Maternity leave is a controversial debate that has been discussed for many years and continues to this day being a controversial issue. There is one side that argues that women have a right for leave of absence in order to bond with the baby and recuperate physically. On the other side there is the argument that companies take a financial hit. Both sides provide valid points for being pro maternity leave or against it, but one must take into consideration the long-term impacts these positions have. Maternity leave is necessary not only for emotional development but also for economical productivity in the long run.
Men have the same rights and obligations, as a child’s birth mother, to spend quality time, bond with, and care for a new baby. With some families living isolated from close relatives, it may be difficult for the mother’s family to support her after the birth of the child. “A study released in January found that fathers who took two or more weeks of leave upon their child's birth are more likely to be involved in the direct care of their children beyond leave” (Gringleburg). The time proceeding childbirth is the most stressful and tedious time. Parents have to adjust to the new baby and his or her schedule, especially the mother. With the both parents home, a lot of the stress is taken off the mother be...
Attributes like unemployment is a major reason for this increase in stay at home fathers but some fathers willingly stay at home to take care of the children. This gives women the opportunity to work and possibly pursue the jobs that they want. Staying home allows more time that is dedicated to spending time with their children , but it could also mean that income could be significantly less than what it would be if both parents were working. Even outside of parenting there are social stigmas about what type of work men and women are more likely to have and jobs that people think that women are more suited for. What is deemed as a norm in society can have an effect on parenting roles too. Men aren’t supposed to stay at home while their wife goes to work and provides for the family. The Family Systems Theory defines role of a good mother and father. So if a mother and father don’t fit the definition are they not good parents? When the wife is the one who is bringing in majority of the income it can put a dent in the male ego. They may start to see themselves as worthless to their family because they are doing what they are ‘supposed to’ to. When there are thoughts like these it can cause conflict in the
This can help workers in balancing career and family. For instance, small companies can give parental leaves and issue a task on part time. It is an advantage to both the company and the workers. The company will not incur more costs in employing full-time employees while on the other hand the workers will have time with their families. Although many businesses in United States are against paid leaves, career and family are part and parcel. A career is need to generate income that will be used in building a good house, providing basic needs such as clothing and food, and also for speculative need. Business should be social, friendly to its workers and therefore for better expansions and growth of any company, workers are the strongest pillar. Guaranteeing paid paternity and maternity leaves does not violates the social responsibilities of a business. In fact it motivates the workers since they bear in mind that sometimes to come they will rest. Denial of the leaves is against social responsibilities that a business should offer to its workers. Even the creator took a rest after creating the world. Who are United States and other few countries that do not guarantee maternity and paternity leaves? The aim of every company is to make profit from its day to day operations. This profits are achieved by employees who work for the company hence they are entitled to every