Should men be forced to take paternity leave?

The question of paternity leave for men has always been a topic of great debate; however, it is arguable that it isn't until now that debate has truly got underway. This is because of the Liberal Democrats' pledge to double paternity leave for men, as well as introduce a law that will force men to take leave, much like the laws currently in action in Scandinavia.

Over the years, questions surrounding equal paternity leave have been rife, most specifically whether men should even be allowed to take leave for the birth or adoption of their new children. This 'should they, shouldn't they' type of back and forth has led to a lot people, general public and specialists alike, voicing how important it is for a new family to have parental balance from an early age.

According to an article in the Guardian, dads who take paternity leave are more likely to be better, happier fathers, as suggested by a Bar-Ilan University study that showed women are not inherently better parents than men. What is more, allowing both sexes equal leave means we move ever closer to the holy grail that is equality in the workplace.

Regardless of whether you agree with this course of action or not, the government has announced that 2015 will usher in a new law that allows men to take the full 52 weeks leave that women do. Moreover, during this time only 39 weeks out of the 52 will be paid for. This news, while welcomed by many, has apparently left many businesses fearful of the repercussions, with reports coming in that some small businesses feel unprepared for shared paternity leave.

Some have commented that cases of employee discrimination could start cropping up if men are continuously denied leave by their employers. Furthermore, due to developments in family law over the past few years that have seen greater gender parity in various rulings, some have even suggested that time may be shared between the two parents.

Although the aforementioned concerns are certainly valid, there is no denying that there are numerous benefits if both parents are able to take their leave. Most specifically, parents could spend equal time with their children, which in turn could open up a new level of intimacy in relationships, as touched upon by Gabrielle Jackson in the Guardian.

Nonetheless, it is equally undeniable that there are financial concerns and job security woes associated with both parents taking leave - after all, paternity leave payment only covers a set amount of weeks. And yet, our Swedish counterparts have been successfully enjoying a set-up like this for many years, and with minimal issues.

Overall, it would seem that the plans for forced paternity leave only further add to an already turbulent debate that has many people on both sides weighing up the pros and cons.

Scott Best is a freelance writer

Copyright & permissions