A father has a right to the same length of parental allowance period as the mother
For many fathers it goes without saying that family leave is shared, and the father uses their part of it to stay home with a baby. The right to family leave belongs to both parents and both parents are entitled to the financial freedom brought on by employment.
In our society fathers and mothers are seen as equal parents with the same opportunities and rights to spend time with their child. The parental reform, which was brought into force in August 2022, guarantees both the mother and the father an equal length parental allowance period. Both parents get 160 days earnings-linked parental allowance and in addition the birthing parent is entitled to 40 days pregnancy allowance.
“The parental leave entitlement in Finland is a remarkable thing and a privilege. Not every country’s social security system offers such financial means for parents to stay home with their young child. Time spent with our children is priceless. Baby’s first smile, the first words and steps will forever be etched in our memories. “Children are small for such a short moment, even if it sometimes might not feel so in midst of the busy years” says business coordinator Ville Viholainen.
Sharing family leave brings equality into family units and working life.
Equal parenthood is generally held in high regard, but sharing family leave is still taking baby steps, so to speak. Mothers still use the majority of family leave. According to the findings from Mothers in Business Ry’s member research, held in spring 2022, 96 % of those who answered say parental equality is important, but only 36 % confirmed that their spouse had taken their full 160 day share.
Sharing family leave was the obvious choice for Ville Viholainen and his family.
””So instead of asking if the father plans to take leave, it should be asked when the father wants to take their leave””
”I think sharing family leave is extremely important when it comes to parental equality. To us it was clear from the get-go that we both wanted to stay home with the children.
Sharing family leave was the best choice for our family and it deepened the relationship with our children.” Confirms Ville Viholainen, who’s also known on Instagram as Koti-iskä88 and who holds Faijapodi -Podcast.
While splitting family leave evenly brings balance into families, it also moves work-life culture in a more gender equal direction. When both parents take turns taking on the responsibility of caring for their young children and household finances, equality in families and in working life increases. Neither parent needs to decide between work and family, but instead both can truly have both.
Workplaces to encourage fathers to take family leave
The birth of a baby is one of life’s great miracles. It should be an occasion which grants celebrations in the professional world as well as home. Encouragement from workplaces to combine work and family supports employees’ wellbeing and cultivates a positive working atmosphere.
Fathers feel encouraged to take family leave when ”baby-leave” taken by them is widely thought of as completely normal part of parenthood.
“A good way to support equal family leave is for employers to automatically show the natural assumption that a father will take family leave. So instead of asking if the father plans to take leave, it should be asked when the father wants to take their leave” suggests Ville Viholainen.
Leading by example does the trick
Working life is going through cultural shift, one that is making family leave taken by fathers more common and longer in duration.
But father’s family leave won’t become the new norm by itself. There is still work to be done in changing wider attitude and culture. It is the managers, leaders and directors who are in the key position to change corporate culture. A CEO sharing family leave with their spouse makes taking family leave easier and natural for others too.
“The example and attitude of employers and managers bears great significance in whether the workplace is seen as family friendly and if this is truly reflected all the way to employees families“ Viholainen affirms.
It is much easier for dads to go on family leave in a family friendly workplace especially if such is actively and naturally expected of them. In any case, discussions and decisions about sharing family leave should be made within each family unit.
Each family chooses their own best way to share family leave
The freedom to choose isn’t always possible and sometimes families choose differently. All families find their own unique solutions, ones which suit them. In some families a father uses all family leave by mutual agreement. In a single parent household and grandparent may be appointed to help and share family leave. It is a heavy burden to bear sole responsibility for a family and its finances. Concrete support towards single parents should be shown inside, as well as outside workplaces, in the best possible ways.
Fathers have a right to equal parenthood
Fathers’ right to equal parenthood is a question of human rights. Fathers are entitled to truly be fathers, to take family leave and spend time with their child. Let’s work together to make fathers’ family leave part of normal day-to-day life, and let’s all make sure dads are regarded as equal parents with equal entitlement to spend precious time with their children. Kids love their fathers just as much as they love their mothers.
Blog is written by Piia Haukilampi
Content creator
Mothers in Business MiB ry
Translated from the original text by Anne Koskinen.
Mothers in Business (MiB) is a nationwide network that supports career-oriented mothers in balancing work and family. MiB’s aim is to provide opportunities for skills development, networking and career advancement. Currently, the network has over 4000 members and hundreds of volunteers throughout Finland.
MiB International is a project that aims to develop MiB’s modes of operation to meet the needs of international career-oriented mothers living in Finland and to engage in societal advocacy towards a more inclusive and equal Finnish working life.
