Daddy Track: The case for paternity leave

The federal Family and Medical Leave Act has long granted up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to all new mothers and fathers. However, paid leave is a different story. A soon-to-be mom is lucky to get any paid time off and dad can usually forget about the option.

However, The Atlantic reports an ongoing shift in perceptions of companies and co-workers toward some daddy time off. California is at the vanguard of this shift. The Atlantic reports in 2002, California became the first U.S. state to guarantee six weeks of paid leave for mothers and fathers alike, financed by a small payroll-tax contribution from eligible workers. Since then, New Jersey and Rhode Island have followed suit with 12 and 13 paid weeks, respectively, while other states are taking steps toward similar policies. In Silicon Valley, many tech giants have gone above and beyond the government mandate: Google offers men seven weeks of paid leave; Yahoo, eight; and Reddit and Facebook, a generous 17.

While paternity leave is nice for dad, the kicker is the benefit for mom and business. In October, the World Economic Forum released its latest global gender-gap report, showing countries with the strongest economies are those that have found ways to further women’s careers, close the gender pay gap, and keep women - who in most nations are now better educated than men - tethered to the workforce after they become mothers, according to the New Hampshire-based magazine.

Read more from The Atlantic.