DOL 2007 found 92% of parents thought fathers should be as involved with children as mothers. Yet in the 2009 Statistics New Zealand Household Labour Force Survey, of 16,000 households, 659 women were not in the labour force, while only 406 men were not in the labour force.[1] Indeed, the birth of a child may instil traditional gender roles in New Zealand parents: In DOL 2007, 65% of fathers said between 1 and 4 weeks of parental leave was their ideal, and 84% of fathers took only one or two weeks’ leave.[2] This is much lower than mothers’ average ideal (52 weeks) and actual (26 weeks). Still, fathers’ preferences were not satisfied, since 48% of fathers thought 3 or more weeks was ideal, while only 16% were able to take that much. Fathers usually took annual or sick leave, which are fully paid. This suggests that a lack of payment inhibits fathers taking more leave. The UK Department of Trade and Industry’s international research also concluded adequate payment cap is a key determinate in fathers’ parental leave-taking.[3] An increased payment cap might assist in encouraging more fathers to take a few weeks’ PPL, in addition to a few weeks’ annual or sick leave. Thus, gender equity affects eligibility, distribution and payment level of PPL, more than length.
Gender equity between parents and non-parents is also a consideration. Given that more women than men take PPL, extended PPL may lead to discrimination against hiring child-bearing aged women, because of employers’ concern about temporarily replacing staff. In this regard, PPL disadvantages women in finding employment. However, longer PPL may mean that some women, who would have resigned under unpaid leave, will return to work after the longer paid leave period. It may even mean that non-parents will see having children as a more viable option.[4] Longer PPL, then, would increase options for parenting, and paternity leave would increase options for parental role-taking – even if people simply opt to maintain traditional gender roles.
[1] Statistics New Zealand, Statistics New Zealand Household Labour Force Survey: June 2009 quarter – table. Accessed 16/8/2009 at http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/work_income_and_spending/Employment/HouseholdLabourForceSurvey_HOTPJun09qtr.aspx. Note that the term “in the labour force” means that a person is able and willing to be employed.
[2] DOL 2007, p. 41.
[3] Moss P and O’Brien M (eds), 2006. International Review of Leave Policies and Related Research 2006 Employment Relations Research Series No 57, Department of Trade and Industry, United Kingdom. pp. 7.
[4] Unfortunately, no NZ data could be found on whether longer PPL would make having children more of an open choice.