Report Says Paternity Leave Programs on Rise, New Dads Reluctant to Take Leave

While more and more organizations are offering paternity leave programs, a recent survey conducted by Deloitte shows that fewer than half of those surveyed said their “company fosters an environment in which men are comfortable taking parental leave”. Human Resource Executive Online reports that while the millennial population is one that expects paid parental leave, older generations can be reluctant to utilize this type of benefit:

•  36% said they will not use paternity leave benefits because they fear it will jeopardize their position.
• 41% said they believe taking paternity leave will result in loss of workplace opportunities.
• 54% feared that they would be judged more harshly by co-workers than a woman would for taking leave.

Human Resources Executive Online further notes that human resources professionals and those in leadership roles need to change internal organizational cultural perspectives before their employees will feel comfortable using paternity leave benefits.