France: 105 businesses commit to awarding a minimum of one month paid leave for second parents

An opinion piece published in the 05 February edition of the daily economics publication Les Echos (here) indicates that 105 companies (primarily in the tech, organic, and sustainable development sectors, and for a large part SMEs) have committed to putting second parent leave arrangements in place. French legislation currently recognizes only 11 days of paternity leave (that is partially paid by the social security system). These 105 companies are highlighting their willingness and intention to ‘lead by example in the struggle for gender equality’, and are taking up the premise that argues paternity leave can, “foster paternal involvement, as well as a long-lasting relationship with the child, and that it also enables better a distribution of the mental load within parenting couples.” Accordingly these businesses are committing to fully compensating at least one month of both paternity leave and ‘second parent’ leave, ‘irrespective of gender or legal status, because society is changing and family profiles can vary greatly.” These companies are also encouraging others to join them in this endeavor, “in order to support the long-term development and growth of French society.”