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Should employers be required to grant male employees unpaid paternity leave after the birth of their child?

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The extent to which fathers can be around – especially in the early years of their childrens’ lives – often depends upon their busy work schedules. Unlike the United Kingdom – where dads have a legal right to take up to six months of paid paternity leave while their children's mothers return to work – the U.S. doesn't even require employers to give new fathers a single day of unpaid paternity leave.

Under the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act, most employees who work at companies with more than 50 employees are guaranteed 12 weeks unpaid leave for the birth or adoption of a new child. However, the U.S is among the world’s countries that does not grant paid paternity leave for recently-made dads. The lack of a comprehensive policy puts an additional strain on households where dads are playing the primary care-giving role. As a result, only 22% of American employees who are eligible under the Family and Medical Leave Act actually take paternal leave because most aren’t able to afford the loss of income.

Check out this infographic comparing paternity leave around the world: http://awesome.good.is/transparency/web/1206/papa-don-t-leave/flash.html

What do you think? Should employers be required to grant male employees unpaid paternity leave after the birth of their child? Answer the poll and sound off in the comment section below.

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  1. Update #1

    Posted by Jessica Dahl (Campaign Leader) on Jun 26, 2012

    Thanks to all of you who shared your opinions about the status of working dads in America! Over 2/3 of you have said that fathers should receive unpaid paternity leave from their employers in order to care for their new babies.

    The Williams Institute, a Los Angeles based think-tank, recently found that there are now more than 1 million never-married men nationwide who are raising children - that's three times more than twenty years ago! Even adoption and surrogacy agencies now say that...

    Thanks to all of you who shared your opinions about the status of working dads in America! Over 2/3 of you have said that fathers should receive unpaid paternity leave from their employers in order to care for their new babies.

    The Williams Institute, a Los Angeles based think-tank, recently found that there are now more than 1 million never-married men nationwide who are raising children - that's three times more than twenty years ago! Even adoption and surrogacy agencies now say that they’re seeing a growing number of such dads.

    As more and more American fathers become primary caregivers, it’s all the more important that corporate policy catches up with evolving gender roles.

    Invite your friends to weigh in on this important family matter, too!

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322 comments have been posted
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I am 100% for mothers being allotted the opportunity to take paternity leave, but the fathers...come on. This is an awesome Country, but I think we are going way overboard when we start saying the fathers need leave too. For many many many years the fathers go to work...stay at work...and provide for their families. That's their job! As for two father households...like mentioned in a previous post...one should go to get their beautiful new baby/child and one should go to work. One of them needs to ware the pants!

See previous replies
Linda Charles

At last someone who talks sense - I am fully with you Jennifer.

Matei Negriu

Mothers to take paternity leave? What did you smoke??? Paternity = to be the FATHER of smth ...

paid paternity leave should be granted.

Brit Kohls

No is shouldn't

I strongly dislike unedjucated people

See previous replies
Kristielynn Papp Paxson

I am not the best speller~~~~ i am learning first hand with my 3 kids how damn important it is to have a father figure in so many aspects of their lives~~~ including after the fact when they are babbies, if you don't have any other facts to come at me with besides my spelling, ounctuation, and or grammer~~~~ then find anouther comment to fight with~~~~ your out #rd~~~~~

Roger Epperhart

i dont like your photo,must have broke the bank for it.

It must be paid leave as in Indian Government services. but in some PSU only female were enjoying maternity leave, male were deprived always. I am the example.

not until MOTHERS get paid Maternity leave!

Femanists fought for equal rights if it is equal let it be equal, not one sided I had to raise my 2 by myself because she ran off, don't let the femanists have all the control, & what happens when she has complications & can't care for the baby, & then remember it's a learning curve for both parents for the first child anyway so why even ask it's really on compassionate grounds anyway because you are asking for unpaid leave.

Jean Peacock

A lot of mothers have had to do same thing , I am sorry that it happened to you but someone has to look after the children

Maribel Del Villar Pérez

What's are femAnists? And what femAnists are arguing against Paternity Leave? Are these femanist people the opposite of feminists and argue AGAINST gender equality?

In Goa, India, mothers get 6 months paid maternity leave in the organised sector and the government is bound by the Goa Children's Act 2003 to extend this facility to women in the unorganised sector as well. Als o, fathers get two weeks paid paternity leave. Also women can take paid child care leave up to two years till the child is 18! so legislatively speaking, I believe we are far ahead of the US! Child care is most important to the well being of a child and has to be the responsibility...

In Goa, India, mothers get 6 months paid maternity leave in the organised sector and the government is bound by the Goa Children's Act 2003 to extend this facility to women in the unorganised sector as well. Als o, fathers get two weeks paid paternity leave. Also women can take paid child care leave up to two years till the child is 18! so legislatively speaking, I believe we are far ahead of the US! Child care is most important to the well being of a child and has to be the responsibility of both parents so I don't understand why fathers should be discriminated against by law unless of course, the US continues to live under the patriarchal illusin that child rearing is predominantly a women's responsibility?

Yes Dad's need the time to bond with their new child. Also with mother's suffering from post partuem depression having Dad around to help thru this time is extremely helpful. I had a bad case of post partuem and if it wasn't for my husband I don't know what I would have done.

Kara Argo

And ur mother!

Kelly McDonald Herod

And Dad and my mother-in-law

I think the father is the single most important support for a mother that has just given birth, and it provides time for the father to bond with the child as well.

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