“We’re essentially taking our most vulnerable new parents and giving them the least access to things like rest, restoration, and support.”

Darby Saxbe, Associate Professor of Psychology at USC

INTRODUCTION

James, an expectant new father, was overjoyed to be welcoming a little girl into his family.  His colleagues threw him a baby shower and couldn’t wait to hear about his little girl.  Although it was a time of celebration, it was also a time of stress since his boss wasn’t thrilled about him being off work. James wondered if taking time off to care for his family would have negative consequences for his career. 

As the above illustrates, becoming a parent is a time often filled with joy, anticipation, and happiness, but is also a time of immense change. Life becomes completely different and this can be a source of immense stress as finances increase, career arrangements may change, and everyday life completely transforms (Parental Leave Brings Mental Health Benefits, Especially for Mothers, n.d.).  Not only does everything change, but it also happens abruptly adding to the stress of this major life change (Heshmati et al., 2023). 

Despite the general support and proven benefits of parental leave, many workers don’t have the option or can’t afford to take parental leave if it’s offered, especially if leave is unpaid (Abrams, n.d.). Although many countries have parental leave, including paid leave, ingrained in their work culture, others do not.  Research shows parental leave has lasting benefits for children, mothers, fathers, workers, and even businesses and the economy (A Fresh Look at Paternity Leave: Why the Benefits Extend Beyond the Personal, 2021; Heshmati et al., 2023; Romig & Bryant, 2021).  

Table of Contents/Breakdown of what is covered in this post

In this blog post, we’ll be discussing: 

• Benefits and the Public Health Significance 
• The Current Situation: The Best and The Worst
• Lessons Learned
• Next Steps 
• Key Takeaways 

The Benefits and Public Health Significance 

Welcoming a child into the world is viewed as a stressful but happy time for families. However, this stress and sudden life change can lead to mental health challenges.  Most have heard of postpartum depression and associate it with new mothers. As many as one fifth of mothers and one tenth of fathers may experience postpartum depression (Bradley et al., 2011; Wang 2021). 

Paid parental leave imparts benefits that unpaid parental leave does not such as decreased overall levels of stress, lower rates of hospital admissions for psychiatric issues, and reduced use of mental health services (Parental Leave Brings Mental Health Benefits, Especially for Mothers, n.d.).  Most men who took paternity leave found it to be an overall positive experience and positive effects were found in the family relationships, family finances, and attitudes towards their employers (A Fresh Look at Paternity Leave: Why the Benefits Extend Beyond the Personal, 2021).

Paid Parental Leave – The Current Situation: The Best and the Worst

The Best 

Sweden: Sweden is largely regarded as having the most robust parental leave policies and legislation in the world (Report on the Situation of Infant and Young Child Feeding in Sweden, n.d.).  Parents are entitled to 480 days per child, and these can be used at any time until the child is 8 (Heshmati et al., 2023). This offers parents time and flexibility to spend those days caring for their children in the ways they see best.  The number of days offered and the long time frame demonstrates how much this is valued. Research from Heshmati et al., (2023) has shown some of the following public health benefits: 

• Decreased risk of paternal anxiety 
• Reduction in maternal mental health disorders during the postpartum period 
• Maternal mental health positively impacted beyond the postpartum period

The Worst

The United States: Most countries globally offer some kind of paid maternity leave. The United States is the only OECD country that does not. 

Federal law allows parents to take up to three months unpaid job-protected leave (Family and Medical Leave (FMLA), n.d.). Since this leave is unpaid, many parents can’t take their full leave entitlement even if they want to due to financial stress.  A few states have enacted laws to establish paid parental leave, and several have laws that have not been enacted.  There are a few states that offer paid parental leave, but these are the minority. Unless parents live in one of these states, this situation can put them in a difficult position during an already stressful time.  According to Bullinger (2019) some potential negative effects of the absence of paid parental leave can include: 

• Increased prevalence of avoidable infections and illnesses for infants 
• Decreased parental engagement 
• Decreased parental mental health

Lessons Learned

Countries without robust family leave programs should look to other countries as an example of how to structure their own paid family leave programs.  Paid parental leave has an overall positive impact and the benefits include: 

• Better mental health outcomes for parents 
• Strengthening family relationships 
• Establishing a strong bond with the child 
• Reducing the gender wage gap 
• Improved family financial stability 
• Increased productivity at work 
• Better overall outcomes for children

(Abrams, n.d.; A Fresh Look at Paternity Leave: Why the Benefits Extend Beyond the Personal, 2021)

Next Steps

Establishing a robust paid parental leave program requires action at several levels. This will require a cultural shift around paid parental leave to shift it from being an exception to being the norm (A Fresh Look at Paternity Leave: Why the Benefits Extend Beyond the Personal, 2021).  Governments can also promote culture shift and help lead change by passing policies and legislation that support paid parental leave. Finally, individuals can advocate for parental leave policies in their workplaces, and have conversations about these policies in their everyday lives. 

Key Takeaways 

Paid parental leave has overwhelming benefits for the family, the community, and the workplace.  Most countries globally have some kind of paid parental leave and the outcomes for those communities are better than those without paid parental leave. With the right structure in place, parents can have the support they need.  

Other Related Material

A Pediatrician’s View of Paid Parental Leave
An Economist’s Take on Why Parental Leave Matters
Paid Family leave makes people happier, global data shows
Why Paid Family Leave is Good Business  

Written by: Joya Banerjee, MPH, BSN, BA, RN