I’m about to start my 12 week paternity leave next week thanks to a state program and almost everyone that I’ve told has had their jaws on the floor that I would even want to do that.

Today I witnessed a group of coworkers almost bragging how little time they took after their kids were born. I’ve heard stuff like “Most men are hard working and want to support their families so they don’t take leave”.

To me it was a no brainer, I’m getting ~85% of my normal pay and I get to take care of my wife, our son and our newborn for 3 whole months. and for someone who hasn’t taken a day breathe in the past 3 years I think I deserve it.

I’m in the US so I know it’s a “strange” concept, but people have seemed genuinely upset, people it doesn’t affect at all. Again, it’s a state program available to almost anyone who’s worked in the past 2 years, I’ve talked to soon to be dads who scoffed at the idea and were happy to use a week of pto and that’s it.

I feel like I’m missing something.

  • Saleh@feddit.org
    9·
    8 hours ago

    Aside from the obvious fact that you should ne there for your partner and child, paternity leave is both economically sound for your employer and the economy as a whole.

    It will mean a healthier child with better relationships to his parents. This will improve his/her performance in school, reduce the likelyhood of problematic behaviour requiring interventions and later the likelyhood of criminal activity.

    So your child will likely be a more productive and reliable grown up eventually and you will have less stress as parents, which also improves your productivity.

    • Cryophilia@lemmy.world
      1·
      5 hours ago

      There is no level of productivity boost that can make up for months of actual absence lol

      Paternity leave helps employers attract talent; in all other ways it does not help them at all.

      • Saleh@feddit.org
        1·
        4 hours ago

        There is no level of productivity boost that can make up for months of actual absence lol

        You are absent for half a year. After that you are 20% more productive. After three years the employer will have made a profit on that time investment.

        Or you go back to work straight away, you are constantly tired, you are constantly stressed. You make mistakes causing delays and damages in the hundreds of thousands, that you would not make otherwise…