In line with the Employment (Amendment) Act, the government introduced paid paternity leave, allowing male employees who are fathers of new-borns to take up to seven days of paid leave.
Unfortunately, stigma may be attached to employees taking paternity leave, leading to discrimination that discourages employees from utilizing their leave entitlements. From the employers’ point of view, like the extension of maternity leave, employers may struggle with managing the workload of team members covering for an absent employee. In both cases, having a plan in place will be key and leveraging FWA may be an option that employers can consider to ensure work continues smoothly.
When we asked the public about how relevant this amendment has been in their organization, 58% of the 229 respondents answered that this has enabled male employees to take a break from work and focus on family. This suggests that the introduction of paid paternity leave has had a positive impact on the work-life balance of fathers of new-borns.
It must be emphasized that this is ultimately a balancing act. The onus is on the employers, who need to promote a culture of gender equality in the workplace and ensure stigmas do not exist, be it for maternity or paternity leave.
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