Member-only story
Why Men Should Receive Paid Paternity Leave
A Personal Opinion
John Doe works at a small company in Ohio. His wife is expecting a baby any day. The actual due date is September 11, 2020. He has been planning to use his vacation time to be off for the birth and the first two weeks at home. He had to forego a summer vacation in order to have the time left for the birth. Somehow, it does not seem fair that an employee should have to use personal vacation time for the birth of their child. He states that he has no other options but to use his personal time off. He gets absolutely no other benefits for being the father of the baby. When asked how paid time off could benefit him, he stated that it would make family time much more enjoyable, since now he will have no vacation time left for later in the year to spend quality time with them. He has to wait another whole year to have any vacation time left.
I believe men should receive paid paternity leave in the same manner that women receive paid maternity leave. Parental bonding with a newborn baby should not be limited to the sex of the parent requesting time off. Each family situation is unique and in some cases the father is needed at home just as much as the mother. Many times, a new mother cannot completely take care of themselves and the new baby. Time off from work to care for a spouse or a new baby can be critically…
