Paternity Leave, who stands to gain?

Child upbringing does not depend on only one person but on both parents, who bring the child into the world.

For biological reasons, we tend to leave the care of the baby for the mother when it comes to breastfeeding, bathing the baby, and other activities that make the baby happy, lively, and healthy. However, child upkeep, care or upbringing is not only the responsibility of the mother but the father as well.

When it comes to babysitting, cuddling, singing to the baby and carrying him or her around, among others, fathers can also take up that role. Each of the parents is also expected to support the other when tiredness sets in, when for instance, a baby is awake deep into the night and one is expected to stay awake caring for the child. Since both parents are expected to play a crucial role in bringing up the child, it is necessary to arrange for a period for the father to support the efforts of the mother. It is against this backdrop that the introduction of a paternity leave to create the room for fathers to support the care of the baby is relevant.

During the 2024 mid-year Budget Review, the Minister for Finance announced a type of leave, known as paternity leave, to help fathers assist mothers in caring for the newly born. On the face of it, this may not be seen as something of socio-economic value. However, when carefully examined, it will be clear that it contributes to the socio-economic welfare of a newly born child, the nuclear family, as well as the country. This explains why paternity leave is good and important for the family, society, and the nation. For fathers to qualify, employees must provide proof of birth or adoption to their employers.

Upon approval, the employers are required to grant a minimum of five days of paternity leave, effective from the specified date in the application. However, a worker cannot be granted more than one paternity leave within a 24-month period. Human growth and development is influenced by many factors such as genetic inheritance, hormonal balance, nutrition, overall health status, and neurological development.

All these factors are important, but early care after a baby is born should never be compromised under any circumstance. There is a need to ensure that this scheme of leave is well organised and implemented to achieve the maximum result if it is introduced.