Paternity Leave?

loveofspencer · March 2013

My fianc? told me to ask about how he should go about paternity leave for work. Do companies even offer it? He doesn't expect it to be long he just wants to spend a little time with our baby without having to change hours or be stressed by work. Besides the extra time and help from him would be nice. Has anyone ever had one? What should he expect?

ladyjenna13 · March 2013

If you guys are married by the time the baby is here, FMLA requires employers to give two weeks to dads, but not paid. Most states have laws in place too, but you have to be married.

Otherwise, personal time and working out time off with HR is possible, depending on how log he has worked for his company.

LuckyDad · March 2013

ladyjenna13:
If you guys are married by the time the baby is here, FMLA requires employers to give two weeks to dads, but not paid. Most states have laws in place too, but you have to be married.
Otherwise, personal time and working out time off with HR is possible, depending on how log he has worked for his company.

This. In general getting a couple weeks unpaid leave for Paternity is pretty easy at most companies. Paid paternity leave is basically unheard of, even in liberal places like California.

JuneBug86 · March 2013

My husband is in the Canadian military and got 9 months of fully paid parental leave after DS was born. After being away for the better part of 3 years, he really earned the time home. Dads taking parental leave is very common at his place if employment. Just about all the guys he works with that become new dads take at least a couple months off.

DavidStamps · March 2013

Depends on the company. My company offers 2 weeks paid, but the state of California offers 6 weeks unpaid with job protection, so I took off 4 weeks with a mix of vacation, company time and state aid.

DavidStamps · March 2013

LuckyDad:
ladyjenna13:
If you guys are married by the time the baby is here, FMLA requires employers to give two weeks to dads, but not paid. Most states have laws in place too, but you have to be married.
Otherwise, personal time and working out time off with HR is possible, depending on how log he has worked for his company.
This. In general getting a couple weeks unpaid leave for Paternity is pretty easy at most companies. Paid paternity leave is basically unheard of, even in liberal places like California.

Liberal California! Wha! Wha! We actually get 6 weeks with job protection and state aid which is 65% of your salary as long as you paid into State on your taxes. I used 2 weeks of mine and have an additional 4 weeks left until my LO turns 1 year old.

Coltsdad · March 2013

If your workplace is large enough to qualify for FMLA, it guarantees your job will be there when you get back. Some companies will make you burn any and/or all vacation time during said leave. I used FMLA for a week for my first, used vacation time for my second.

ehnasto · March 2013

USAF gives 10 days of paid paternity leave before you have to start taking vaca time.

Wulfgar · March 2013

Have him talk to HR, some companies will allow a person to take a week off with pay to help. Others will allow him to take a month off under FMLA (unpaid).

With me, I was a contract employee when we had our son so I got to take a few days off after pre-working that time ahead of time.

One of the guys at my work took like a whole month off when he had his kid but most just take a week off.

Lady_Lawson · March 2013

In Canada, The mother gets 17 weeks and you get 35 weeks which can be used by either parent of split between them so the mother can add the 35 weeks to her 17 or the father can take the 35 weeks or you can split say give the father 6 weeks and add the remaining weeks to the mothers 17 weeks.

Sorry if this is not sure where you live!

nofrogs · March 2013

If he has worked full-time for his employer at least a year at the birth, he is qualified for 12 weeks of unpaid leave, with job protection, but only if his company employs more than 50 people. He could take as much or as little as he needs. He could also use vacation time, and get paid for it. My husband is taking 3 weeks off, using his vacation days. This is in the US.

ladyjenna13 · April 2013

I have tons of friends, family members and associates who are dads, and not one of them has ever taken off 12 weeks for the birth of a healthy baby. FMLA provides protection from employers who may attempt to terminate your employment, but it ends there. The company does not pay you for any time taken under FMLA, and anyone who would take the full 12 weeks would not be assured of getting their old position back. Rather, an equivalent job with equivalent pay, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment would be offered if the previous position was filled in absence. Also, any time-based bonuses or incentives would not be protected by FMLA. FMLA is about job protection and benefits protection, nothing more.

I do not know of any father, and very few working mothers, who would take 12 weeks off, WITHOUT PAY. Most fathers here on this board took 2 weeks, with a few a week more, and many more only a week or less. I work with a woman who was back at work 4 weeks after the birth of her child. Yes, she hated the world for a short time, but what was she going to do about it? Babies, housesholds and daycare cost $$$$$$$$

Even the two weeks off I took, I cashed in my personal days so the money would not stop coming in. Being a parent has changed my whole perspective on earning.

FishinDad2 · April 2013

My company requires that you be in the position for at least 12 months prior to having FMLA assistance. I am going to use PTO and take 2 weeks off.

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