{"id":19285,"date":"2020-01-14T22:39:57","date_gmt":"2020-01-14T22:39:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=19285"},"modified":"2020-01-15T05:21:16","modified_gmt":"2020-01-15T05:21:16","slug":"parental-leave-laws-are-failing-single-parents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/parental-leave-laws-are-failing-single-parents\/","title":{"rendered":"Parental leave laws are failing single parents"},"content":{"rendered":"

Deborah Widiss<\/a>, Indiana University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The two parties in Congress don\u2019t agree on much these days. However, in the final days of December, they struck a deal that will give about 2 million federal workers<\/a> paid time off following the birth of a baby, an adoption or the arrival of a foster child in their home.<\/p>\n

A growing number of states<\/a> have passed similar laws. These new measures are aimed at addressing a major gap in American workplace policy. The United States is the only developed country<\/a> that fails to guarantee paid parental leave to workers generally.<\/p>\n

As an expert<\/a> on the laws and policies that govern employment and families, I\u2019ve studied<\/a> parental leave laws around the world. In my view, the new U.S. laws are an important step forward, but I think they treat single-parent families unfairly.<\/p>\n

Promoting gender equality<\/h2>\n

Most other countries<\/a> have separate paid maternity and paternity leave guarantees, with mothers receiving much more time than fathers. Some countries supplement this structure with a gender-neutral paid parental leave, often awarded on a family basis. In general, women<\/a> use most of such shared leave. To encourage men to take more time, a few countries, including Sweden<\/a> and Iceland<\/a>, make a portion of parental leave usable only by fathers.<\/p>\n

The U.S. model is very different.<\/p>\n

The federal and state leave laws provide each parent an equal and individual right to time off. For example, when the policy covering most<\/a> federal workers<\/a> is implemented, moms will get 12 weeks of paid leave, and so will dads. Both members of a same-sex couple will be able to take time off, so long as each is recognized as a parent.<\/p>\n

Early evidence<\/a> from states that have implemented paid leave laws suggests that fathers are taking advantage of the opportunity. In California<\/a> and Rhode Island<\/a>, men account for almost 40% of parental leave claims. This rate is far above the average for industrialized countries of 18%<\/a>, and very close to that of international leaders.<\/p>\n

There are documented benefits to encouraging fathers to take time off with a new baby. Studies of men who take parental leave<\/a> suggest that those dads will be more engaged parents<\/a> months, or even years, later. Having more men take leave can also promote equality at work<\/a> and home<\/a> more generally.<\/p>\n