Paternity Leave

Will your employer allow you to take time off for bonding with your newborn or newly adopted infant? In the past such a question was hardly ever asked. It was assumed that fathers might drive their spouses to the hospital (where it was also assumed they would not participate in the birthing process) but society generally expected their involvement to end there - at least until it was time for little league. But times have changed.

We're fortunate to live at a time when the significance of a father's role in the life of his family is gaining increasing recognition and support. Since 1993, with the passage of the Family and Medical Leave Act, it's been possible for at least some fathers to take up to twelve weeks of unpaid leave after the arrival of their newborns.

The Act also protects mothers from losing their jobs due to maternity leave absences, but the significance to dads can't be underestimated. For the first time in the history of this nation, the desire - indeed the need - to take time off from work in order to bond with one's child has been recognized, legitimized and formalized.

A recent, unscientific poll revealed that 72% of women and 63% of men think it's important for men to take more than two weeks of leave after the birth of a child. The same poll found, however, that 68% of respondents didn't know any male colleagues who had done so.

The fine print

Unfortunately, the provisions of the Act do not apply to all men. And there is certainly no provision under the law for paid leave. Some employers do offer paid leave as a progressive benefit, or they allow employees to take combinations of vacation, sick and or unpaid leave. But the law stipulates only that up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave be granted, provided the employee has worked at least 25 hours per week for 50 weeks. The law also applies only to businesses with at least 50 employees, and those employees must work within 75 miles of your work site. Consequently, many employees of small businesses may be out of luck.

The good news is, qualifying dads may take the leave in the first 12 months following a birth or adoption, and weeks of leave my be taken intermittently. This would allow many families to extend the time parents spend at home with a newborn, particularly in cases where the mother must eventually return to work. Some men opt to begin their leave where their wives' leaves off.

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