🌍 Culture & inspiration · During pregnancy

⚖️ Paternity leave, job protection and legal rights: dads around the world

Parental leave depends on eligibility, birth/adoption date and applicable employment law; payment is not the same as protected time off.

Questions to ask before baby arrives

📅 How many days of leave are reserved for the father, and within what timeframe must you take them?
💶 Who pays during your leave, and what percentage of your salary is covered?
📨 How much notice must you give your employer in advance?
🛡️ Are you protected against dismissal around the time of the birth?
👨‍👦 Is legal paternity established automatically, or is a formal declaration required?

1. Your country
Federal FMLA provides eligible workers of covered employers up to 12 workweeks of unpaid, job-protected leave, not universal paid paternity leave. Eligibility and employer coverage matter. Check state paid-leave programs and employer benefits separately; payment and job protection are different questions.
2. International comparison: Spain
Spain increased birth/childcare leave from 16 to 19 paid weeks per parent in 2025, and to 32 weeks for single-parent families. Two weeks (four for single-parent families) can be used flexibly until age eight. Transitional eligibility and claim dates matter; do not revert to a blanket 16-week claim.
3. Check before budgeting
Confirm current rules with the official benefits agency and employer. Do not use cultural rankings, uptake percentages or foreign rates as personal entitlement advice.

A local detail, or your own experience with this guide? Write to the team