When fathers take leave to look after their children, the whole family benefits. Research shows there is a link between the number of days of leave a father takes and their satisfaction with their relationship with their child. Spending more time with their fathers is also beneficial for children's development. Involving both parents in childcare contributes to overall gender equality by giving women more flexibility to make decisions about having children and/or continuing their careers.

Despite this, fathers take much less parental leave than they could. The EU wants to change this, and is working to encourage men to take more opportunities to get involved in caring for their families.

Thanks to a new EU law, fathers are now able to take at least 10 days of paternity leave around the time of their child's birth, compensated at least at the sick-pay rate. Mothers and fathers in all EU countries have the right to at least four months of parental leave each. While in some situations, one parent may 'give' their leave to the other, under the new law, two months of each parent's leave are non-transferable. The purpose is to encourage fathers to take more parental leave.

Perhaps you are a father who wishes to spend more time with your family, but are worried about possible negative consequences for your career. Fortunately, the EU guarantees job protection during and after leave, as well as protection from discrimination when taking parental leave. This means that fathers who take time off to spend with their family are entitled to return to the same job, or an equivalent.