“Unquestionably, the ability of receiving full pay during the leave has been decisive in fathers taking their leave” Solveig Ørteby, Vice-President of the Finansforbundet union, told the Berlingske Business daily. Last week, the newspaper did a report on soaring paternity leaves among highly-educated employees. Statistics from the finance sector – whose collective agreement guarantees full pay for up to four months’ parental leave – show that men now take 50 percent more paternity leaves than they did in 2006 – taking an average of 60 days as opposed to 38 days for the rest of the labor market. Djøf, the Association of Lawyers and Economists, is witnessing the same trend: 41 percent of its members under the age of 40 have taken parental leave for three months or more – the general average for the rest of the labor market is 27 percent. Why? Again, the possibility of getting full pay, notably because men tend to make more than their partners, which is usually a major reason why men don’t take their parental leaves as much. Currently, after the child is born, the mother is entitled to 14 exclusive weeks. During this time, the father is entitled to two weeks and, after the first 14 weeks, both parents can split the remaining 32 weeks. Today, mostly because of the pay gap but also because of the working culture (fathers taking leaves is still strange in some sectors), mothers take most of the 32 weeks’ leave.
t take their parental leaves as much. Currently, after the child is born, the mother is entitled to 14 exclusive weeks. During this time, the father is entitled to two weeks and, after the first 14 weeks, both parents can split the remaining 32 weeks. Today, mostly because of the pay gap but also because of the working culture (fathers taking leaves is still strange in some sectors), mothers take most of the 32 weeks’ leave.
Towards exclusive paternity leaves? Even though their sectors are m
…Do you have information to share with us?