The first year after a newborn child is usually one of the most labour intensive moments for parents. Countries have created laws to ensure that government agencies and private enterprises give their employees time to bond with their newborns. However, leave sharing between mothers and fathers is still not widespread.
Despite policy advances, real-world take-up of shared or paternity leave often stays stubbornly low. This is usually due to economic realities, workplace culture, and deep-rooted social norms. At the end of the day, everyday family choices reflect forces far bigger than individual will. We will have a look at why sharing leaves is still hard despite policy advances.
Effects of Economic Barriers and Pay Gap
The gender pay gap is the biggest barrier facing fathers and mothers taking time off to take care of their newborns. Despite all advocacy for gender equality, the stubborn truth is that women still earn less than men in almost every economic sector.
The implication is that a couple has to decide which partner will stay off work while one stays home with the baby. In most cases, the woman will have to stay home with the children because she is the lower earning partner.. This is usually because losing more income starts to matter when the higher earner reduces hours or stops working temporarily.
In many countries, statutory leave pay, especially for fathers, is low. For example, shared parental leave pay is often less than average wages and far lower than maternity pay in the UK, making it financially difficult for middle- and low-income families. Parents also mention financial constraints as a top reason for not taking available leave.
A family with a newborn, where the father earns 30% more than the mother, would pick the mother to take time off. This is usually because the father forfeiting six weeks of income to stay home could significantly affect the family’s income. In most cases, this translates into late rent payments, reduced savings, or even difficulty meeting basic needs. So, even when leave is legally available, it is still economically out of reach for many households.
Pressure from Work
Cultural expectations from ages past about work and commitment make it harder for parents to take some time off work. Studies have shown that many managers and colleagues still maintain the belief that taking care of children is the responsibility of a female. In this world where loyalty to one’s company or workplace is expected of everyone, some managers see taking leaves as something that reduces productivity and reduces an employee’s visibility and commitment.
In some studies, fathers mentioned an “unspoken rule” that men should not take too much leave or that they need to justify their need for flexibility more than women do.
Studies have also shown that a third of fathers worry that taking long leaves would harm the progression of their career or make them less dedicated. Pressure from work may not be visible in some cases, but it is present in everyday decisions.
For example, a father wants to take eight weeks of leave, but if his employer frowns and his colleagues take on extra work while he’s gone, he might decide not to go on leave again. A popular statement made by most fathers is, “I can go on leave, but my career progression will pay for it.”
Effects of Gender Roles and Social Norms
Even in situations where socioeconomic status and workplace culture are not a big problem, social norms about parenting roles may affect how couples make decisions. Societies still assume that women should take the lead in childcare while men focus on providing. These expectations shape not only workplace behaviour but also family decision-making itself.
In most households, the idea of sharing leave equally still feels unusual. One partner might believe it’s normal for the mother to stay home longer, while the other may feel awkward or uncomfortable asking for more time off. This phenomenon is sometimes known as maternal or paternal gatekeeping, and it shows deep beliefs about who should be leading early childcare.
These cultural norms continue to exist even after policies allow shared leave. A father might say he wants to be more involved, but decides to take only two weeks off. Then, he’d return to work sooner than he had wanted because community expectations or family pressures pushed him back into providing for his family.
Conclusion
Sharing parental leave equally, where both parents take time off work to take care of their newborns, remains difficult. According to SR Journal research, reasons for this difficulty include workplace cultures, economic inequalities, social expectations, and many more. Effective changes need not only policy reforms but also better leave pay, supportive workplace practices, and shifts in gender norms.