France doubles paid paternity leave to combat inequality

France has doubled paid paternity leave from 14 to 28 days in a long-awaited reform that aims to allow fathers to invest more time in parenthood and family life.

New dads in France must take at least one week of paid paternity leave under new rules that came into force Thursday. AFP/File

The policy, which took effect Thursday also applies to the second parent in same-sex couples. In the event of multiple births, seven days of paid leave are added.

At least one week of paternity leave will be mandatory under the legislation, adopted by parliament late last year.

Employers are to cover just three days of leave, with the rest of the cost borne by France’s social security system.

When President Emmanuel Macron announced the plan to extend paternity leave last year, he said it would “above all encourage equality between women and men”.

C'est fait ! À partir d’aujourd’hui, le congé paternité passe de 2 semaines à 1 mois.
Une bonne nouvelle pour des millions de futurs pères… et mères ! pic.twitter.com/R73datWaL8

— Élysée (@Elysee) July 1, 2021

'Psychological barriers'

Only seven in 10 French fathers has taken advantage of paid paternity leave since it was introduced in 2002.  

Eighty percent of those on permanent contracts choose to take it, compared with less than 60 percent on fixed-term contracts.

“There are still a lot of psychological obstacles, particularly with regard to the employer,” psychotherapist Isabelle Filliozat told AFP, adding that the week of mandatory leave would help new dads negotiate with their bosses.

France is still some way behind EU paternity leave leader Finland, which allows nine weeks of paid time off, and just behind Portugal, which offers five weeks.

Both Spain and Austria offer four weeks of paid paternity leave, while Germany offers none at all.