Men increasingly want to be involved parents and caregivers in their families,Barker, G., Hayes, C., Vlahovicova, K., & Gupta, T. (2023, July). State of America’s Fathers 2023: Mobilizing men for a better care ecosystem. Equimundo and MenCare Publication. Retrieved 28 May 2026, from https://www.mencare.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/State-of-Americas-Fathers-2023.pdf; Swenson, H. (2020 July). Engaged Dads and the Opportunities for and Barriers to Equal Parenting in the United States. Retrieved 28 May 2026, from New America website: https://www.newamerica.org/insights/engaged-dads-and-opportunities-and-barriers-equal-parenting-united-states/ and while their unpaid caregiving is worth more than $410 billion annually,Robbins, K. G., & Mason, J. (2025, June). If Americans Were Paid for Their Caregiving, They Would Make More than $1.1 Trillion. Retrieved 28 May 2026, from National Partnership for Women & Families website: https://nationalpartnership.org/if-americans-were-paid-for-their-caregiving-they-would-make-more-than-1-1-trillion/ most men still do not have access to paid family leave. Paid leave allows men to take time away from work after the birth or adoption of a child or to care for a loved one with a serious health condition. Even when their employers provide some paid leave, it often is not fully gender-neutral or inclusive of all family structures. As a result, men must often forgo leave or take shorter periods than they need to avoid losing income and facing workplace stigma.Thébaud, S., & Pedulla, D. (2022). When Do Work-Family Policies Work? Unpacking the Effects of Stigma and Financial Costs for Men and Women. Work and Occupations 49(2), 229-263. https://doi.org/10.1177/07308884211069914. Coltrane, S., Miller, E. C., DeHaan, T., & Stewart, L. (2013). Fathers and the Flexibility Stigma. Journal of Social Issues, 69(2), 279-302. doi: 10.1111/josi.12015; Dove Men+Care & Promundo. (2018, June). Helping Dads Care: New National Survey Confirms That Societal Expectations, Limited Paternity Leave and Insufficient Support Keep Fathers from Taking Leave. Retrieved 28 May 2026, from https://www.unilever.com/files/f5202c91-9e9f-4300-b2cf-b768b67db2d5/promundo-dmc-helping-men-care-report-final.pdf Boyens, C., Karpman, M., Smalligan, J. (2022 July). Access to Paid Leave is Lowest among Worker with the Greatest Need. Retrieved 28 May 2026 from Urban Institute: https://www.urban.org/research/publication/access-paid-leave-lowest-among-workers-greatest-needs

[The most challenging thing about being a parent of a young child is] the newborn stage, especially being a new dad.

— Dad of three, Massachusetts. New America (2026). What Parents of Young Kids Want: Insights from the 2026 National Parent Survey.

Everyone, regardless of gender, should be able to take time away from their jobs to care for their families without facing financial hardship or workplace discrimination. A national paid family and medical leave insurance program would provide all working people with the critical income they need to welcome a child, address a medical condition or provide family care.

Men’s Caregiving Has Become a Norm, But Most Men Lack Access to Paid Family Leave

Since 1965, fathers in the United States have nearly tripled the time they spend caring for children, and working fathers are now just as likely as working mothers to say they find it difficult to manage work and family responsibilities.Parker, K., & Wang, W. (2013, March 14). Modern Parenthood: Roles of Moms and Dads Converge as They Balance Work and Family. Retrieved 28 May 2026, from Pew Research Center website: https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2013/03/14/modern-parenthood-roles-of-moms-and-dads-converge-as-they-balance-work-and-family/ Half of men in the workforce expect to need time to care for a sick, disabled or older family member – the same share as women,Lenhart, A., Swenson, H., & Schulte, B. (2019, December 4). Lifting the Barriers to Paid Family and Medical Leave for Men in the United States. Retrieved 28 May 2026, from New America website: https://www.newamerica.org/better-life-lab/reports/lifting-barriers-paid-family-and-medical-leave-men-united-states/ and 74 percent of dads with kids under six want more quality time with their children.Silkowski, A., Bidwell, K., & Boland, A. C. (2026, May 27). What Parents of Young Kids Want: Insights from the 2026 National Parent Survey. Retrieved 28 May 2026 from New America website: https://www.newamerica.org/insights/2026-national-parent-survey/ In 2024, nearly three million men were single parents,U.S. Census Bureau. (2025). American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates 2024, Geographies: United States (Table S1101. Households and Families). Retrieved 28 May 2026, from https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST1Y2024.S1101 (Number of men with no spouse heading households with one or more children under 18) and more than 360,000 men were parenting in same-sex couples.U.S. Census Bureau. (2025). American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates Public Use Microdata Sample (2024). Retrieved 28 May 2026, from https://data.census.gov/app/mdat/ACSPUMS1Y2024/table?cv=ACSPUMS1Y2024&cv=R18&rv=SEX,CPLT&wt=PWGTP (Total men living in household with same-sex spouse or same-sex unmarried partner and one or more children under 18.) So while more men need more time for care – and want it – they still face a number of barriers to access:

• Just 27 percent of all workers have access to paid family leave through an employer. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2023, September). National Compensation Survey: Employee Benefits in the United States, March 2023 (See Excel tables, Civilian workers, Leave). Retrieved 28 May 2026, from https://www.bls.gov/ebs/publications/employee-benefits-in-the-united-states-march2023.htm The 2024 and 2025 National Compensation Surveys do not include paid family leave access rates.
• Only 13 percent of private sector workers are employed at worksites that offer paid paternity leave to all male employees. Brown, S., Herr, J., Roy, R., & Klerman, J. A. (2020, August). Employee and Worksite Perspectives of the Family and Medical Leave Act: Results from the 2018 Surveys (Exhibit 3-3). Retrieved 28 May 2026, from https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OASP/evaluation/pdf/WHD_FMLA2018SurveyResults_FinalReport_Aug2020.pdf
• Employer policies commonly provide less bonding time for “secondary caregivers” – too often code for “fathers” – and for adoptive and foster parents, which particularly impacts same-sex couples. National Partnership for Women & Families. (2020, June). Leading on Leave: Companies With New or Expanded Paid Leave Policies (2015-2019). Retrieved 28 May 2026, from https://nationalpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/new-and-expanded-employer-paid-family-leave-policies.pdf; Maxwell, M. B., Johnson, A., Lee, M., & Miranda, L. (2018). 2018 U.S. LGBTQ Paid Leave Survey. Retrieved 28 May 2026, from HRC website: https://www.thehrcfoundation.org/professional-resources/2018-u-s-lgbtq-paid-leave-survey And even when men have access to other forms of paid time off from an employer, such as paid sick days, they often cannot use that leave to bond with a new child, to care for a family member’s medical condition or for elder care. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2019, August 29). American Time Use Survey: Access to and Use of Leave, 2017-2018 (Table 3. Workers with access to paid or unpaid leave and their ability to use leave by reason, averages for the period 2017-2018). Retrieved 28 May 2026, from U.S. Department of Labor website: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/leave.t03.htm
• Fathers are less likely to take any leave compared to mothers and more likely to take shorter durations of leave. Working men were nearly twice as likely to take no leave compared to working women with children under six: 19 percent of employed men with children under six took no leave following the birth of their youngest child, compared to 10 percent of women. Of men who took leave, 50 percent took 2 weeks or less, and 52 percent said they had less time with their children after birth than they wanted.Silkowski, A., Bidwell, K., & Boland, A. C. (2026, May 27). What Parents of Young Kids Want: Insights from the 2026 National Parent Survey. Retrieved 28 May 2026 from New America website: https://www.newamerica.org/insights/2026-national-parent-survey/ Percentages of working men and women who did not take leave based on author’s calculations using 2026 National Parent Survey microdata retrieved 28 May 2026, from https://www.newamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026ParentSurveyPublicUseMaterials.zip
• Low-income fathers and fathers of color face even higher barriers: In 2025, 25 percent of working men of color with children under six took no leave after their child was born. The same study found that one-third of working men in households living below the poverty line took no time off. Silkowski, A., Bidwell, K., & Boland, A. C. (2026, May 27). What Parents of Young Kids Want: Insights from the 2026 National Parent Survey. Retrieved 28 May 2026 from New America website: https://www.newamerica.org/insights/2026-national-parent-survey/ based on author’s calculations Another study of disadvantaged families found that 60 percent of fathers reported taking zero weeks of paid time away from work after the birth or adoption of a child.Pragg, B., & Knoester, C. (2017, June). Parental Leave Use Among Disadvantaged Fathers. Journal of Family Issues, 38(8), 1157-1185. doi: 10.1177/0192513X15623585. Retrieved 28 May 2026 from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5501417/pdf/nihms749014.pdf; the National Partnership (2019) found similar patterns in its analysis of leave-taking by gender and income level in state paid leave program. See NationalPartnership.org/PaidLeaveReport for more information. This is due, in part, to structural barriers faced by low-income workers and workers of color, who are less likely to have access to unpaid or paid leave due to occupational segregation and a lack of public policy supports.Heymann, J., Sprague, A., Earle, A., McCormack, M., Waisath, W., & Raub, A. (2021, July). US Sick Leave In Global Context: US Eligibility Rules Widen Inequalities Despite Readily Available Solutions. Health Affairs, 40(9), 1501-1509, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34310189/; Goodman, J. M., Richardson, D. M., & Dow, W. H. (2022, July). Racial and ethnic inequities in paid family and medical leave: United States, 2011 and 2017–2018. American Journal of Public Health, 112(7), 1050-1058, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9222444/
• Among new fathers who take some time off, only one-third use paid paternity leave.Hernandez, N., & Kreider, R. (13 May 2025). Share of Women Who Worked Before Their First Birth Rose. Retrieved 28 May 2026, from U.S. Census website https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2025/05/parental-leave.html Men without paid leave often feel pressure to limit their time off of work in order to keep a steady incomeBarker, G., Hayes, C., Vlahovicova, K., & Gupta, T. (2023, July). State of America’s Fathers 2023: Mobilizing men for a better care ecosystem. Equimundo and MenCare Publication. Retrieved 28 May 2026, from https://www.mencare.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/State-of-Americas-Fathers-2023.pdf; Swenson, H. (2020 July). Engaged Dads and the Opportunities for and Barriers to Equal Parenting in the United States. Retrieved 28 May 2026, from New America website: https://www.newamerica.org/insights/engaged-dads-and-opportunities-and-barriers-equal-parenting-united-states/ and be a good financial provider, which continues to be seen as an important part of being a good father.Rehel, E., & Baxter, E. (2015, February 4). Men, Fathers, and Work-Family Balance. Retrieved 28 May 2026, from Center for American Progress website: https://www.americanprogress.org/article/men-fathers-and-work-family-balance/

Many Men Face Stigma for Taking Leave

Many fathers want to be more involved with their families, play a larger caregiving role, and support their partners’ careers.Humberd, B., Ladge, J. J., & Harrington, B. (2015, June). The “New” Dad: Navigating Fathering Identity Within Organizational Contexts. Journal of Business and Psychology, 30(2), 249-266. doi: 10.1007/s10869-014-9361-x; Ladge, J. J., Humberd, B. K., Watkins, M. B., & Harrington, B. (2015, January). Updating the Organization MAN: An Examination of Involved Fathering in the Workplace. Academy of Management Perspectives, 29(1), 152-171. doi: 10.5465/amp.2013.0078; Swenson, H. (2020 July). Engaged Dads and the Opportunities for and Barriers to Equal Parenting in the United States. Retrieved 28 May 2026, from New America website: https://www.newamerica.org/insights/engaged-dads-and-opportunities-and-barriers-equal-parenting-united-states/ But too many workplaces still assume that being a caregiver is incompatible with success at a job,Trimble O’Connor, L., & Cech, E. A. (2018, April 13). Not Just a Mothers’ Problem: The Consequences of Perceived Workplace Flexibility Bias for All Workers. Sociological Perspectives, 61(5), 808-829. doi: 10.1177/0731121418768235 and taking time away from work for family caregiving can bring harassment, discrimination, mistreatmentBerdahl, J. L., & Moon, S. H. (2013, June). Workplace Mistreatment of Middle Class Workers Based on Sex, Parenthood, and Caregiving. Journal of Social Issues, 69(2), 341-366. doi: 10.1111/josi.12018; Dove Men+Care & Promundo. (2018, June). Helping Dads Care: New National Survey Confirms That Societal Expectations, Limited Paternity Leave and Insufficient Support Keep Fathers from Taking Leave. Retrieved 28 May 2026, from https://www.unilever.com/files/f5202c91-9e9f-4300-b2cf-b768b67db2d5/promundo-dmc-helping-men-care-report-final.pdf or negative career impacts Thébaud, S., & Pedulla, D. (2022). When Do Work-Family Policies Work? Unpacking the Effects of Stigma and Financial Costs for Men and Women. Work and Occupations 49(2), 229-263. https://doi.org/10.1177/07308884211069914. Coltrane, S., Miller, E. C., DeHaan, T., & Stewart, L. (2013). Fathers and the Flexibility Stigma. Journal of Social Issues, 69(2), 279-302. doi: 10.1111/josi.12015; Dove Men+Care & Promundo. (2018, June). Helping Dads Care: New National Survey Confirms That Societal Expectations, Limited Paternity Leave and Insufficient Support Keep Fathers from Taking Leave. Retrieved 28 May 2026, from https://www.unilever.com/files/f5202c91-9e9f-4300-b2cf-b768b67db2d5/promundo-dmc-helping-men-care-report-final.pdf Boyens, C., Karpman, M., Smalligan, J. (2022 July). Access to Paid Leave is Lowest among Worker with the Greatest Need. Retrieved 28 May 2026 from Urban Institute: https://www.urban.org/research/publication/access-paid-leave-lowest-among-workers-greatest-needs; Barker, G., Hayes, C., Vlahovicova, K., & Gupta, T. (2023, July). State of America’s Fathers 2023: Mobilizing men for a better care ecosystem. Equimundo and MenCare Publication. Retrieved 28 May 2026, from https://www.mencare.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/State-of-Americas-Fathers-2023.pdf that discourage fathers from taking leave. Three-quarters (74 percent) of adults point to the penalties other men have suffered as a deterrent for men taking leave.

— New America. (2019). Lifting the Barriers to Paid Family and Medical Leave for Men in the United States.

Creating More Supportive Workplaces Would Help Men, Their Families, Businesses

A growing body of evidence makes clear that paid family leave has a positive impact on children and parents, families’ economic security, and employers. And it can help support more caregiver-friendly workplace cultures.

• Gender-equal paid leave promotes children’s development and family well-being. Among different-sex parents, fathers who take two or more weeks off after the birth of a child are more involved in that child’s direct care nine months after birth than fathers who take no leave,Nepomnyaschy, L., & Waldfogel, J. (2007). Paternity Leave and Fathers’ Involvement with Their Young Children: Evidence from the American Ecls–B. Community, Work and Family, 10(4), 427-453. doi: 10.1080/13668800701575077 and are more likely to have a stable marriage or relationship with the other parent.Petts, R. J., Carlson, D. L., & Knoester, C. (2019, November 14). If I [Take] Leave, Will You Stay? Paternity Leave and Relationship Stability. Journal of Social Policy, Online First. doi: 10.1017/S0047279419000928 Involved fathers promote children’s educational attainment and emotional stability and reduce maternal stress,Lamb, M.E. (2004). The role of the father in child development, 4th ed. (pp. 1–18, 309–313). Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; Nomaguchi, K., Brown, S., & Leyman, T. M. (2017). Fathers’ Participation in Parenting and Maternal Parenting Stress: Variation by Relationship Status. Journal of Family Issues. 38(8), 1132-1156. doi: 10.1177/0192513X15623586 and involvement in the first six months after birth can also mean both mother and baby sleep better.Tikotzky, L., Sadeh, A., Volkovich, E., Manber, R., Meiri, G., & Shahar, G. (2015, March). Infant sleep development from 3 to 6 months postpartum: links with maternal sleep and paternal involvement. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 80(1), 107-124. doi: 10.1111/mono.12147 When men attend prenatal medical appointments and remain involved throughout the pregnancy, women have safer births and decreased risk of postpartum depression.van der Gaag, N., Heilman, B., Gupta, T., Nembhard, C., & Barker, G. (2019). State of the World’s Fathers: Unlocking the Power of Men’s Care. Retrieved 28 May 2026, from https://www.equimundo.org/resources/state-of-the-worlds-fathers-unlocking-the-power-of-mens-care/ New mothers have fewer postpartum health complications and improved mental health when new fathers can also take paid leave.Persson, P., & Rossin-Slater, M. (2019, May). When Dad Can Stay Home: Fathers’ Workplace Flexibility and Maternal Health. Retrieved 28 May 2026, from National Bureau of Economic Research website: https://www.nber.org/papers/w25902
• Households are more equal when fathers have paid leave. When new dads in different-sex couples take paid leave, parental responsibilities are divided more equitably, including household chores and direct caregiving.Rehel, E. M. (2014, February). When Dad Stays Home Too: Paternity Leave, Gender, and Parenting. Gender and Society, 28(1), 110-132. doi: 10.1177/0891243213503900 Fathers who take paid family leave also say they are more comfortable as active, responsible co-parents.Rehel, E. M. (2014, February). When Dad Stays Home Too: Paternity Leave, Gender, and Parenting. Gender and Society, 28(1), 110-132. doi: 10.1177/0891243213503900
• Paid leave for men supports working mothers. In 73 percent of U.S. households with children (more than 50 million households), all parents are in the workforce,U.S. Census Bureau. (2025). American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates 2024, Geographies: United States. (Table DP03. Selected Economic Characteristics). Retrieved 28 May 2026, from https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDP1Y2024.DP03?q=dp03 and 70 percent of women in families with children are breadwinners or co-breadwinners.Andara, K., Estep, S., Salas-Betsch, I. (2025, May 9). Breadwinning Mothers Are a Lifeline for Their Families and the Economy. Retrieved 28 May 2026 from Center for American Progress website: https://www.americanprogress.org/article/breadwinning-women-are-a-lifeline-for-their-families-and-the-economy/ Yet women are still more likely than men to stop working or to work part time after the birth of a child.Katz-Wise, S. L., Priess, H.A., & Hyde, J. S. (2010). Gender-role attitudes and behavior across the transition to parenthood. Developmental psychology, 46(1), 18-28. doi: 10.1037/a0017820 Paid paternity leave may increase women’s labor force participation by promoting men’s involvement at home and making it easier for women to return to the workforce.Bartel, A., Rossin-Slater, M., Ruhm, C., Stearns, J., & Waldfogel, J. (2015, November). Paid Family Leave, Fathers’ Leave-Taking, and Leave-Sharing in Dual-Earner Households (No. w21747). Retrieved 28 May 2026, from the National Bureau of Economic Research website: http://www.nber.org/papers/w21747.pdf; Patnaik, A. (2019, October). Reserving Time for Daddy: The Consequences of Fathers’ Quotas. Journal of Labor Economics, 37(4), 1009-1059. doi: 10.1086/703115 Research from Sweden shows that each additional month of parental leave taken by a child’s father increases the mother’s wages by nearly 7 percent,Johannson, E-A., (2010). The effect of own and spousal parental leave on earnings (Working Paper 2010:4). Retrieved 19 May 2026, from Institute of Labour Market Policy Evaluation website: https://www.econstor.eu/dspace/bitstream/10419/45782/1/623752174.pdf which affects women’s income and retirement security over their lifetimes.

Fathers Need Paid Family Leave No Matter Where They Live or Work

Fifteen states including the District of Columbia have passed paid family and medical leave programs that provide time to bond with a new child, care for a family member with a serious health condition or address their own serious medical needs, regardless of gender.National Partnership for Women & Families. (2026, April). State Paid Family & Medical Leave Insurance Laws. Retrieved 28 May 2026, from https://nationalpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/state-paid-family-leave-laws.pdf In the states with these programs, virtually all (95 percent) of working parents are eligible for paid leave benefits.Mason, J. & Robbins, K.G. (2026). State Paid Leave Programs Cover Nearly One-Third of Workers in the United States. Retrieved 28 May 2026, from the National Partnership for Women and Families https://nationalpartnership.org/report/state-paid-leave-programs-cover-nearly-one-third-of-workers/ Men’s use of these programs for parental leave has become more equal over time and newer programs are more equal than older ones.Mason, J. (2025). Strong State Evidence for Paid Leave: A Look at Connecticut, Rhode Island and Washington State. Retrieved 28 May 2026, from the National Partnership for Women and Families https://nationalpartnership.org/report/strong-state-evidence-for-paid-leave-connecticut-rhode-island-washington/ In California, men now file over 50 percent of claims for paid family leave to care for a new child, up from 15 percent when the law took effect in 2004.State of California Employment Development Department. (n.d.). Paid Family Leave (PFL) Program Statistics. Retrieved 28 May 2026, from https://edd.ca.gov/siteassets/files/about_edd/quick-stats/qspfl_pfl_program_statistics.pdf; Glynn, S. J., Eyster, K., Shabo, V. (2018, July). An Unmet, Growing Need: The Case for Comprehensive Paid Family and Medical Leave in the United States. Retrieved 28 May 2026, from National Partnership for Women & Families website: https://nationalpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/an-unmet-growing-need-the-case-for-comprehensive-paid-leave-united-states.pdf In Rhode Island, which implemented paid family leave in 2014, 46 percent of child bonding leaves in 2025 were taken by men.Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training. (n.d.). TDI Annual Update: January – December 2025. Unpublished calculation based on claims data for Temporary Caregiver Insurance – Bond with Child. Retrieved 19 May 2026, from https://dlt.ri.gov/sites/g/files/xkgbur571/files/2026-03/2025.pdf

Evidence from existing programs shows how policy details matter for men.

When men take an equal share of leave, it has significant benefits for their families and for gender equality. To fully support men’s leave-taking, paid leave programs must:

• Replace most or all of a worker’s usual wages. Men are significantly less likely to use leave that is unpaid or replaces only a small share of usual wages, likely due in part to gender norms about breadwinning roles. In addition, because of the gender wage gap, when different-sex couples face a period of unpaid leave, they often resolve that dilemma by keeping the higher-earning man at work.Lenhart, A., Swenson, H., & Schulte, B. (2019, December 4). Lifting the Barriers to Paid Family and Medical Leave for Men in the United States. Retrieved 28 May 2026, from New America website: https://www.newamerica.org/better-life-lab/reports/lifting-barriers-paid-family-and-medical-leave-men-united-states/; Raub, A., Nandi, A., Earle, A., de Guzman Chorny, N., et al. (2018). Paid Parental Leave: A Detailed Look at Approaches Across OECD Countries. WORLD Policy Center Analysis at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health Publication. Retrieved 28 May 2026, from https://www.worldpolicycenter.org/sites/default/files/WORLD%20Report%20-%20Parental%20Leave%20OECD%20Country%20Approaches_0.pdf Higher wage replacement rates, even up to 100 percent, substantially increase men’s use of leave.Dow, W. H., Goodman, J. M., & Stewart, H. (2017, November). San Francisco’s Paid Parental Leave Ordinance: The First Six Months. Retrieved 28 May 2026, from https://www.populationsciences.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/SF%20Paid%20Parental%20Leave%20-%20UC%20Berkeley%20issue%20brief%201.pdf
• Cover the range of caregiving needs. Nationally, three-quarters of instances of leave-taking are for purposes other than bonding with a new child.Brown, S., Herr, J., Roy, R., & Klerman, J. A. (2020, August). Employee and Worksite Perspectives of the Family and Medical Leave Act: Results from the 2018 Surveys (Exhibit 3-3). Retrieved 28 May 2026, from https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OASP/evaluation/pdf/WHD_FMLA2018SurveyResults_FinalReport_Aug2020.pdf While about 30 percent of men expect to need paternity leave, fully half anticipate needing leave to care for a seriously ill, disabled or older family member.Lenhart, A., Swenson, H., & Schulte, B. (2019, December 4). Lifting the Barriers to Paid Family and Medical Leave for Men in the United States. Retrieved 28 May 2026, from New America website: https://www.newamerica.org/better-life-lab/reports/lifting-barriers-paid-family-and-medical-leave-men-united-states/ Paid leave programs should address the range of health and care needs as reflected in the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
• Provide equal time, and not force couples to split leave. Evidence from European parental leave programs consistently shows that when new mothers and fathers are given a shared amount of leave that they must split, women end up taking the vast majority of leave time, resulting in inequities in the workplace and in caregiving and negative consequences for new mothers’ health.Lenhart, A., Swenson, H., & Schulte, B. (2019, December 4). Lifting the Barriers to Paid Family and Medical Leave for Men in the United States. Retrieved 28 May 2026, from New America website: https://www.newamerica.org/better-life-lab/reports/lifting-barriers-paid-family-and-medical-leave-men-united-states/; Lamb, M.E. (2004). The role of the father in child development, 4th ed. (pp. 1–18, 309–313). Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; Nomaguchi, K., Brown, S., & Leyman, T. M. (2017). Fathers’ Participation in Parenting and Maternal Parenting Stress: Variation by Relationship Status. Journal of Family Issues. 38(8), 1132-1156. doi: 10.1177/0192513X15623586 State paid leave programs and the FMLA follow a more equitable model, providing leave individually to each worker.
• Protect a worker’s job. Three-quarters of adults say that penalties, such as job loss or retaliation, are a major deterrent for men taking leave.Berdahl, J. L., & Moon, S. H. (2013, June). Workplace Mistreatment of Middle Class Workers Based on Sex, Parenthood, and Caregiving. Journal of Social Issues, 69(2), 341-366. doi: 10.1111/josi.12018 A national policy must follow the lead of state paid leave programs in including strong anti-retaliation protections and expanded or provided universal job protection.

The Family And Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act would create a national paid family and medical leave insurance program that would enable the lowest-paid workers to earn up to 85 percent of their normal wages, with the typical full-time worker earning around two-thirds of their wages for up to 12 weeks to address their own serious health condition, including pregnancy and childbirth recovery, to deal with the serious health condition of a family member, the birth or adoption of a child, address the effects of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking and/or to make certain arrangements arising from the military deployment of a spouse, child or parent. The FAMILY Act would establish a reasonable standard that would bring the nation’s public policies more in line with the needs of the workforce, benefiting women and men, workers, their families, businesses and our economy.

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