Thursday, September 30, 2010

How Paternity Leave Works


Most fathers aren’t aware that they’re allowed to take paternity leave from work when their child is being born. This means that they can take a period of time off to enjoy the new baby and to help the baby’s mother get accustomed to having a new child in the house.

While the US doesn’t provide paid paternity leave, employers are required to offer this leave to their employees under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA.) In addition to offering a certain period of time (usually a few weeks) off, employers are required to provide the father with his same position, benefits, and pay when he returns.

Some countries do offer paid leave, but these are mostly Asian countries. The time allowed for the father to be off work depends and varies from country to country. For instance, many Asian countries allow several weeks off while countries like Cambodia only offer one to two days. It’s important to spend some time looking up the law in your country so that you can be prepared when the time comes. Also, give your employer notice that you’ll be taking paternity leave around the time that your baby is born, and let the employer know the due date. It’s important to take some time to spend with your baby and your significant other when the time comes, and paternity leave allows you to do that.