This Dad Believes Paternity Leave Should Be a Benefit All Employers Offer
Illustration: Marly Gallardo for Yahoo Beauty
Leading up to the Nov. 8 presidential election, Yahoo Beauty is letting people across the country tell their stories — good and bad — of taking family leave in America. As the U.S. is the only country in the developed world without guaranteed paid family leave — maternity, paternity, and elder care — we wanted to put a spotlight on real Americans’ issues that will be affected by the next administration.
Mark Hirsch wasn’t even sure if his office offered paternity leave until he had a need for it. Here’s how it worked out for him.
— As told to Korin Miller
When I found out that my wife was pregnant, I wasn’t sure what that would mean for my work as a claims adjuster. Would I be able to take time off to be with her and the baby?
My home state of Missouri has laws about maternity leave but nothing that directly applies to paternity leave. So I looked at the employee handbook at work and eventually just asked. I was told I could take up to a week of sick leave for the baby and use vacation days, and I started banking them. Nothing was granted to me specifically, but my company was supportive and completely understanding that I would want to take time off. Most of my coworkers have families, so it wasn’t anything new.
My son was born in September and I managed to store up a couple of days of vacation so that I could take two weeks off to be with him and my wife after the birth. Our vacation time resets at the beginning of the year, and I heard that babies get sick a lot — I saved a few vacation days to use after my leave, just in case.
Mark, his wife, Lisa, and their son. (Photo: Courtesy Mark Hirsch)
When I came back to work, it was business as usual. We’re a pretty close-knit group at work, and everyone wanted to know when I’d be bringing in the baby to meet them.
Would it have been nice to be at home more? Of course.
Luckily, I get an hour off each day for lunch, and I work close to home, so I could spend 30 to 40 minutes at home during the day. That definitely helped ease the feelings of not being home enough.
I wholeheartedly believe that paternity leave should be a normal consideration by employers, but until the U.S. catches up with other developed countries on maternity leave, I’m not holding my breath. After all, maternity leave has a medical aspect — women actually give birth and need to recover, in addition to bonding with the baby — and it’s more important that we focus on that first. Paternity leave is just not something that really is addressed much right now except for by more progressive companies.
But I think it’s just a matter of time before paternity leave becomes a hot-button topic like maternity leave. It will happen; it will just take time.
Photo: Courtesy of Mark Hirsch
Things would be different — or the same — for Mark Hirsch under leave policies proposed by Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. If Trump is elected, his paternity leave would be the same. Trump has made it clear that his proposed plan applies to mothers only. Under Clinton, however, he would receive 12 weeks of paid leave — and his wife would too — at a minimum of two-thirds of their salaries.
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