Fact Sheet
Fathers Need Paid Family and Medical Leave

June 2023
Paid Leave

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Men increasingly want to be involved parents and caregivers in their families.Harrington, B., Van Deusen, F., Sabatini Fraone, J., Eddy, S., & Haas, L. (2014). The New Dad: Take Your Leave. Perspectives on paternity leave from fathers, leading organizations, and global policies. Retrieved 6 June 2023, from Boston College Center for Work & Family website:https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/carroll-school/sites/center-for-work-family/research/work-life-flexibility1.html; Heilman, B., Cole, G., Matos, K., Hassink, A., Mincy, R., & Barker, G. (2016). State of America’s Fathers: A MenCare Advocacy Publication. Retrieved 6 June 2023, from https://www.fatherhood.gov/research-and-resources/state-americas-fathers-2016-mencare-advocacy-publication Yet most men still do not have access to leave that would allow them 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.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 6 June 2023, from https://promundoglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Promundo-DMC-Helping-Men-Care-Report_FINAL.pdf

TAKING CARE OF MY FAMILY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I DO AND AM.

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

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 critical income when they need time to welcome a child, address a medical condition or provide family care.

 

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 6 June 2023, 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 6 June 2023, from New America website: https://www.newamerica.org/better-life-lab/reports/lifting-barriers-paid-family-and-medical-leave-men-united-states/ In 2021, nearly 2.9 million men were single parents,U.S. Census Bureau. (2022). American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates 2021, Geographies: United States (Table S1101. Households and Families). Retrieved 6 June 2023, from https://data.census.gov/table?q=S1101:+HOUSEHOLDS+AND+FAMILIES&tid=ACSST5Y2021.S1101(Number of men with no spouse heading households with one or more children under 18) and over 333,000 men were parenting in same-sex couples.U.S. Census Bureau. (2020). American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates Public Use Microdata Sample. Retrieved 6 June 2023, from https://data.census.gov/mdat/#/search?ds=ACSPUMS1Y2021&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.)

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; Heilman, B., Cole, G., Matos, K., Hassink, A., Mincy, R., & Barker, G. (2016). State of America’s Fathers: A MenCare Advocacy Publication. Retrieved 6 June 2023, from https://www.fatherhood.gov/research-and-resources/state-americas-fathers-2016-mencare-advocacy-publication But outdated, gendered norms in 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 or 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 6 June 2023, from https://promundoglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Promundo-DMC-Helping-Men-Care-Report_FINAL.pdf that result in fathers being less likely to take the leave that is available to them. 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. It is also a disincentive to take leave if doing so negatively affects their careers and their families’ economic opportunities due to lower pay or being passed over for promotions.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 6 June 2023, from https://promundoglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Promundo-DMC-Helping-Men-Care-Report_FINAL.pdf; Heilman, B., Cole, G., Matos, K., Hassink, A., Mincy, R., & Barker, G. (2016). State of America’s Fathers: A MenCare Advocacy Publication. Retrieved 6 June 2023, from https://www.fatherhood.gov/research-and-resources/state-americas-fathers-2016-mencare-advocacy-publication.

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

A growing body of evidence makes clear that paid family leave has a positive impact on children and parents, families’ economic security, employers and taxpayers. 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 6 June 2023, from https://stateoftheworldsfathers.org/report/state-of-the-worlds-fathers-helping-men-step-up-to-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 6 June 2023, 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 70 percent of U.S. households with children (nearly 49 million households), all parents are employed,U.S. Census Bureau. (2021). American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates 2022, Geographies: United States. (Table DP03. Selected Economic Characteristics). Retrieved 6 June 2023, from https://data.census.gov/table?q=dp03&tid=ACSDP1Y2021.DP03 and women are key breadwinners in nearly two-thirds of families with children.Glynn, S. J. (2019, May 10). Breadwinning Mothers Continue To Be the U.S. Norm. Retrieved 6 June 2023 from Center for American Progress website: https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/reports/2019/05/10/469739/breadwinning-mothers-continue-u-s-norm/ 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 6 June 2023, 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 6 June 2023, 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 with paid leave are less likely to need public assistance. Having a baby is expensive. Even for people with health insurance, the average out-of-pocket cost of childbirth in the United States ranges from $1,077 in Washington D.C. to $2,473 in South CarolinaJohnson, W., Milewski, A., Martin, K., & Clayton, E. (2020, May). Understanding variation in spending on childbirth among the commercially insured. Health Care Cost Institute. Retrieved June 6, 2023, from https://healthcostinstitute.org/hcci-research/understanding-variation-in-spending-on-childbirth-among-the-commercially-insured – quickly followed by clothing, diapers, formula or lactation support and many other expenses. But new fathers who take paid leave are significantly less likely than fathers who do not to report needing to use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in the year following their child’s birth (controlling for other relevant factors).Houser, L., & Vartanian, T. P. (2012, January). Pay Matters: The Positive Economic Impacts of Paid Family Leave for Families, Businesses and the Public. Center for Women and Work at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey Publication. Retrieved 6 June 2023 from https://nationalpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/pay-matters.pdf On average, men who take paid leave report receiving $420 less in public assistance in the year following their child’s birth than men who do not take leave.Houser, L., & Vartanian, T. P. (2012, January). Pay Matters: The Positive Economic Impacts of Paid Family Leave for Families, Businesses and the Public. Center for Women and Work at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey Publication. Retrieved 6 June 2023 from https://nationalpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/pay-matters.pdf

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

Thirteen 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. Over time, men’s use of these programs for parental leave and family caregiving has become more equal. In California, men now file over 44 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 6 June 2023, from https://www.edd.ca.gov/about_edd/pdf/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 6 June 2023, 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, 44 percent of child bonding leaves in 2022 were taken by men.Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training. (n.d.). TDI Annual Update: January – December 2022. Unpublished calculation based on claims data for Temporary Caregiver Insurance – Bond with Child. Retrieved 6 June 2023, from https://dlt.ri.gov/labor-market-information/data-center/unemployment-insurance-ui-temporary-disability-insurance-tdi

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 6 June 2023, from New America website: https://www.newamerica.org/better-life-lab/reports/lifting-barriers-paid-family-and-medical-leave-men-united-states/; Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development. (2016, March). Parental leave: Where are the fathers? Retrieved 6 June 2023, from OECD website: https://www.oecd.org/policy-briefs/parental-leave-where-are-the-fathers.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 6 June 2023, 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 6 June 2023, 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 6 June 2023, 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 6 June 2023, from New America website: https://www.newamerica.org/better-life-lab/reports/lifting-barriers-paid-family-and-medical-leave-men-united-states/; 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 6 June 2023, from https://stateoftheworldsfathers.org/report/state-of-the-worlds-fathers-helping-men-step-up-to-care/ 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 (H.R. 3481/S. 1714) 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.

Learn more at NationalPartnership.org/PaidLeave.

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