Society Debate:Is paternity leave necessary?

Yes of course! Life is like a metric ruler that must be suspended on a nail to keep in equilibrium; any slight tilt to one side will cause the whole ruler to fall off balance. For today’s parents, finding a balance between work and family is their biggest challenge. Neglecting either one of them will most probably offset a chain reaction of consequences that will drastically affect them. Companies understand that for their employees to offer quality services, they must be given incentives like work leave or salary increments. That is why stingy companies will most likely face direct or indirect rebellion from employees. It’s only fair that after serving a company well, parents be accorded their deserved parental leave to show some uninterrupted love toward their children. As a matter of fact, statistics show that only four countries don’t have laws on parental leave, whereas some offer over ten weeks of paid maternity leave. The issue of husbands getting leave because their wives are pregnant is ripe debate all over the world. People wonder about what the man will be doing during this time; will he stay in bed entirely during that time or will he clean the sweet baby’s diapers? Such thoughts have killed men’s chances of hooking up that precious leave; bosses think men should rather stay around and work their brains out than waste their time doing nothing at home. From any point of view, this is simply the most unfair treatment an employer can offer a love relationship. It is inhumane to think that an expectant and new mother can go through that period alone, only waiting to glimpse at her hubby at night when he arrives home after work. She needs to know that her husband, instead of a housekeeper, is constantly around to help her when she needs a glass of water or catch her when she slips. When she finally gives birth, the father will also desperately want to bond with his baby despite all constraints at work. If he does not get time off of work, his work rate will most likely drop to sub-zero levels. What I am sure of is that, whether he is given paternity leave or not, a father will find a way to see his newly born child and wife during work hours. In fact it is the firm that will benefit from a father’s few days of absence, and when he returns from his leave feeling fresh and enthusiastic, he will tackle any job’s challenges without fail. Therefore, to prevent the bad behaviour of a dad having to tiptoe away and cheat the company of valuable time, why not just give him a formal leave and make him happy? A new mother fully deserves her leave, there is no question about it; but she also perfectly needs the love of her husband who should always be at her side all the time. That is why paternity leave is almost as important as maternity leave. Anyway, I don’t know much about what people may want but personally, to keep a clear head, I will unquestionably need my paternity leave when the time comes. mugishaivan@yahoo.com