Returning to work after the birth of a child can be challenging. But the benefits of extended paternity leave are surely obvious. So why don’t more fathers take more time off? And what insights can we offer to help future families, and those interested in driving greater equality at work, to strike the right balance?

Nick Linsey (Abcam’s UK-based Voice of the Customer Lead) and I became first-time dads at the same time – our two baby boys, Jack and Elliott, were born in August 2023. We are therefore keenly aware of how Abcam’s paternity policy – six weeks full pay for all global colleagues – has benefited our new families.

We wanted to offer three reflections on the benefits of taking extended paternity leave in the hope that future Abcammer families might find them useful, and more fathers might consider taking longer leave.

Benefit #1: Improving family health outcomes

There’s a long list of potential benefits for the family, but the two that resonate with us the most are relationship health and paternal mental health.

Longitudinal data from the US shows that extended paternity leave is associated with greater relationship stability. Heterosexual couples where the father took no leave are two times more likely to get divorced or to separate within five years from birth than couples where the father took leave (1). Equally as powerful, longitudinal data from France shows that, despite no major impact on maternal mental health, fathers who did not take extended paternity leave were 25% more likely to experience depression after two months from birth (based on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (2)).

“Meeting our firstborn for the first time was quite simply euphoric. The outpouring of love, emotion and relief is quickly balanced out by the thought of ‘what on earth do we do now’, and ‘are they really trusting US to keep him alive’!?

Our extended paternity leave gave us the time and space to work out how to answer these questions. It ensured that both my wife and I could understand what we needed to do, when we needed to do it, and that we had each other's backs when things got tough. 

‘Six weeks paternity leave’ may be a benefit on our careers website for most, but for those that live and breathe it, it is the most valuable, precious experience you will probably ever have. I will always have those memories of the six weeks of Jack being with us, and that is what’s special." – Nick

Benefit #2: Progressing societal norms 

Unsurprisingly, recent survey data shows that a third of fathers take no leave at all (3), but the vast majority would take more time off if they could. The cited reasons include financial pressure and lagging policy, both governmental and organizational.

As well as being quite late to the party, it’s widely reported that UK has the lowest paternity leave offer in Europe. And globally we stack up even worse, where the leading countries include Japan, Korea and France.

Extending UK paternity leave would therefore be timely, but it’s only part of the solution. The other is pay offered whilst on leave. Using UK median full-time pay, 10 days leave amounts to ~£1,400, whereas the statutory pay for 10 days pat leave is currently £345. That means that half of families are £1,000 worse off if the father decides to take any leave at all (4). In the current climate, few families can afford this loss.

Taking extended leave shouldn’t be a luxury, or a mother’s prerogative – the more fathers who push for fairer leave, the more progress we will see in various gaps, not least the pay gap.

“It was really important to me from the start to try and divide the caring responsibilities as equally as possible. And if I’m being honest, I felt like a bystander for large parts of the pregnancy, so once our son arrived, I had to spring into action – for me that meant taking our son on a morning walk before work, so my wife could catch up on sleep; or making sure I keep some energy in reserve for the evening routine when I come home from work. So far, I think it’s going alright.” – Ben

Benefit #3: Creating a new sense of meaning at work

Lastly, survey data from McKinsey suggests that many fathers who take extended paternity leave go on to experience an increase in their intrinsic motivation back at work (5). What that means is they feel a renewed sense of why their work is important to them personally, which may also lead to a decrease in turnover intention.

The mechanism here is likely to be about space to step back and reflect. Extended leave, plus the birth of a child, forces a different perspective and what can emerge on the other side is a refreshed list of priorities and goals.

“Since the arrival of Jack, I felt this huge responsibility to be the best father I can be. It’s a responsibility I’ve never felt before. However, this hasn’t taken energy or focus away from work. In fact, the responsibility from being a father has actually energized and focused my approach to work. Time is so precious now that I want to be smart, all-action, and output-focused, in both work and at home.” – Nick

Of course, there are plenty of other benefits that we haven’t touched on – stronger bond with the baby, reduced burden on mum or other caregiver, increased child development, minimizing impact on mum's career etc.

Overall, our recommendation is to do what is right for your individual circumstance, but don’t be afraid to take extended leave – you won’t regret it.

Petts, R. J., Carlson, D. L., & Knoester, C. (2020). If I [take] leave, will you stay? Paternity leave and relationship stability. Journal of Social Policy, 49(4), 829-849.

Barry, K. M., Gomajee, R., Benarous, X., Dufourg, M. N., Courtin, E., & Melchior, M. (2023). Paternity leave uptake and parental post-partum depression: findings from the ELFE cohort study. The Lancet Public Health, 8(1), e15-e27.

Topping, A. (2023) ‘Measly’ paternity rights mean nearly a third of UK fathers take no leave – report. Guardian online.

ONS data retrieved from: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours

A fresh look at paternity leave: Why the benefits extend beyond the personal (2021) McKinsey online.