Paternity leave for new dads?

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Guests: Scott Behson and Liza Mundy

Last April, Yahoo announced it would provide new fathers with eight weeks off with full pay. Major League Baseball recently instituted a father-friendly policy. It now allows players to take 72 hours off to be with their new babies—and while that doesn’t sound like a lot, it does represent a step forward for professional athletes. Studies show that increasing numbers of men would like to take time off from work to care for their new babies, but only 15% if U.S. companies currently provide paid leave for fathers. Most new dads have to use vacation days to be at home. And then there is the perception of bosses and colleagues who may see paternity leave as a sign of an employee who isn’t serious about his career. Is it time for corporate America to accommodate the interests of a new generation of dads? Should employers offer paternity leave – paid or unpaid? We’ll talk about why paternity leave is good for children, parents, families and maybe even the workplace. Our guests are management professor SCOTT BEHSON who blogs about fathers and work and journalist LIZA MUNDY. Her article “Daddy Track: The Case for Paternity Leave” was published in the January/February issue of The Atlantic.

Photo: AP/Niklas Larsson

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