The Family and Medical Leave Act was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on Feb. 5th, 1993. This offered eligible workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected time off for qualifying medical and familial reasons. This was the beginning of the growing issue of family leave. 13 states have legislation protecting parents from losing their jobs, but oftentimes, men still have to go to work.
According to the National Library of Medicine, only 14 percent of civilian workers have access to paid paternity leave, with the rest only having about one week of unpaid leave. Men often have to use sick days, vacation days, and paid time off in order to spend time with their newborn. “Yeah, I can say from my own experience that I had to use some of my own days.” Kevin Sepulveda, a teacher at Pahrump Valley High School, said.
Maternity leave is a very well-known topic, but not a lot of men know that paternity leave is even an option. It is such a limited offer that people don’t often talk about it. This obscurity only slows the rate of change. “I definitely do think that slows it down,” said Atom Hoffman, a teacher at PVHS.
Many men face fears of career repercussions, worrying that taking time off for the child may be seen as a lack of commitment to the company. This fear is usually enough to prevent men from taking their paternity leave. “I definitely don’t think it’s a lack of commitment, but you have to look at it from a business viewpoint. In the time you’re gone, someone has to have been trained to replace you, and they’d much rather have someone who isn’t going to be having kids anytime soon,” Hoffman explains.
Men may also face societal pressures surrounding paternity leave, with many people saying that men should embrace the breadwinner role and work to provide for the newborn and the mother. “If you are the sole provider, there’s a lot of negativity that comes with not providing,” Sepulveda explained. Many men face harassment, judgment, and scrutiny for taking paternity leave. “I think it’s really just a tradition at this point. For so long, women were the homemakers and men were expected to provide for the family, and people are still stuck in that,” Hoffman said.
On average, women get ten weeks of maternity leave, whereas men rarely get one to form the crucial bond with the newborn. “That’s definitely not enough. I think that one month is enough, but two is what we should really strive for,” Hoffman said. “I think everyone should have that. It should be paid by the state or the employer.” Sepulveda added.
Men don’t get a lot of time to spend with their newborn, and the first few months are crucial bonding time that goes down the drain without paternity leave. Spending time with the baby is equally important to the father, so remember to be more understanding when they take their leave.
