This is the second of a two-part blog series examining the effects of perinatal health and its impact on women’s and men’s mental health.

Twelve weeks of paid paternity leave. That’s what one new dad’s company offered. But when he asked to take it, his boss shot back: “But your wife’s got it covered, right?”

That one question said so much, it dismissed the importance of a father’s role in those early days, reinforced outdated gender norms, and added guilt to a moment that should have been filled with joy and support. It’s a reminder of how much work remains in shifting workplace culture and making space for fathers to show up fully, not just as providers, but as parents. Despite growing support for gender equality, only 15% of men in the U.S. take the paternity leave available to them. And of those who do, 76% return to work in less than a week.

So why are so many fathers reluctant to take leave? Often, it’s fear, fear of what colleagues or supervisors might think. According to surveys, 1 in 5 men worry that taking paternity leave could hurt their careers. And given the reactions many men still face, that concern isn’t misplaced. This kind of outdated thinking still permeates many workplaces. Even as corporate policies evolve, only 45% of employers offered paid paternity leave as of 2023, and culture hasn’t always kept pace with policy (“25+ Telling Paternity Leave Statistics [2023],” 2023).

5 Reasons Why Fathers Should Take Parental Leave

So what’s really at stake when dads take time off to be fully present? More than you might think. Here’s why paternity leave matters, for families, workplaces, and fathers themselves:

1. Strengthening Partnerships. 90% of fathers who took leave reported a significant improvement in their relationship. It signals shared responsibility and eases the burden on mothers, reducing risks of postpartum depression (Séjourné et al., 2012).

2. Bonding with the Baby. Time in those early weeks helps fathers form strong emotional connections, which supports long-term cognitive and emotional development in children (Scism & Cobb, 2017).

3. Mental Health. Fathers are also vulnerable to postpartum depression and anxiety, issues often overlooked. Paternity leave offers space to adjust, process, and seek support (Baldwin et al., 2018).

4. Modeling Equality. When men take leave, it challenges harmful gender norms. It shows that caregiving is a shared responsibility, not just a maternal one (Galvin et al., 2023).

5. Long-term Engagement. Dads who take leave are more likely to stay actively involved in caregiving. That leads to healthier family bonds and better outcomes for children (Gonzalez et al., 2023).

Shifting the Culture Around Paternity Leave

Despite the clear benefits, many men still feel uncomfortable taking time away from work. This isn’t just a personal or family decision, it’s a cultural one.

If we want to build healthier families and more inclusive workplaces, we have to challenge outdated narratives about masculinity and caregiving. That means looking beyond policy to workplace culture.

Employers play a crucial role. It’s not enough to offer paternity leave on paper, companies must actively foster a culture where men feel safe and supported to use it. That means training managers to be allies, celebrating examples of employees who take leave, and sending a clear message: parenting is not a professional liability (Gheyoh Ndzi & Holmes, 2023).

A Call to Action

If we want to create a future where parenting is truly shared, we need to normalize paternity leave as essential, not optional.

● Employers: Encourage and support the use of paternity leave. Don’t just offer the policy, back it with a culture that values family.

● Fathers: Take the leave if you have it. Your presence matters, during the sleepless nights and far beyond.

● Partners & Allies: Advocate for one another. Support each other in asking for time, seeking help, and sharing the emotional and physical labor of parenting.

● Policymakers: Push for comprehensive, gender-inclusive family leave policies that make leave accessible and equitable for all.

Final Thoughts

Taking paternity leave isn’t time off, it’s time invested. It strengthens families, nurtures healthy development, and models a more equitable future.

Let’s keep the conversation going. Let’s challenge the stigma around paternity leave and build a culture where fatherhood is supported from the very start.

References:

25+ telling paternity leave statistics [2023]: Average paternity leave length. (2023, June 22). Zippia. https://www.zippia.com/advice/paternity-leave-statistics/

Baldwin, S., Malone, M., Sandall, J., & Bick, D. (2018). Mental health and wellbeing during the transition to fatherhood: A systematic review of first time fathers’ experiences. JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports, 16(11), 2118–2191. https://doi.org/10.11124/JBISRIR-2017-003773

Galvin, L., Verissimo, C. K., Ambikapathi, R., Gunaratna, N. S., Rudnicka, P., Sunseri, A., Jeong, J., O’Malley, S. F., Yousafzai, A. K., Sando, M. M., Mosha, D., Kumalija, E., Connolly, H., PrayGod, G., Endyke-Doran, C., & Kieffer, M. P. (2023). Effects of engaging fathers and bundling nutrition and parenting interventions on household gender equality and women’s empowerment in rural Tanzania: Results from EFFECTS, a five-arm cluster-randomized controlled trial. Social Science & Medicine, 324, 115869. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115869

Gheyoh Ndzi, E., & Holmes, A. (2023). Paternal leave entitlement and workplace culture: A key challenge to paternal mental health. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(8), 5454. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20085454

Gonzalez, J. C., Klein, C. C., Barnett, M. L., Schatz, N. K., Garoosi, T., Chacko, A., & Fabiano, G. A. (2023). Intervention and implementation characteristics to enhance father engagement: A systematic review of parenting interventions. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 26(2), 445–458. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-023-00430-x

Scism, A. R., & Cobb, R. L. (2017). Integrative review of factors and interventions that influence early father–infant bonding. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing, 46(2), 163–170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jogn.2016.09.004

Séjourné, N., Vaslot, V., Beaumé, M., Goutaudier, N., & Chabrol, H. (2012). The impact of paternity leave and paternal involvement in child care on maternal postpartum depression. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 30(2), 135–144. https://doi.org/10.1080/02646838.2012.693155