Fathers are taking more parental leave, but workplace stigma still
exists
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
As families across the country prepare to celebrate Father’s Day, new
research from employee benefits leader Unum
(NYSE: UNM), highlights advances and challenges for dads in today’s
workplace.
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Unum employee John Gandy recently took 6 weeks of paid parental leave after the adoption of his twins. (Photo: Business Wire)
An online poll of 500 new U.S. parents (half of them fathers) conducted
in March showed that among new dads:
-
36% never discussed their parental leave benefits with human
resources. However, of those who did, 89% say they were involved or
very involved in the development of their leave plan
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62% say their employer offers paid parental leave
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50% spent 30 days or less away from the workplace when they had or
adopted their child, while an additional 32% spent 31-60 days, and 17%
spent 61-90 days away from work
The same Unum poll asked new parents several questions around parental
leave stigma in their workplace, with stigma defined as parents being
passed over for promotions, being looked down on for taking time off,
and other direct consequences of being out of the office to care for a
child. Of new fathers, 37% said they feel there’s a stigma in their
workplace around new parents, with 80% of them experiencing it firsthand.
“While more dads say their workplace offers parental leave, it’s clear
that both new mothers and fathers are encountering stigma about actually
taking time off,” said Angel Bennett, Director in the Leave Management
Center at Unum. “For HR, this means having an open dialogue within the
workplace, encouraging managers to lead by example in taking parental
leave, and supporting new moms and dads in the development of their
leave and return-to-work plans.”
From navigating benefits to developing a leave plan and returning to
work, juggling new parent duties with job responsibilities can be
challenging. To help new parents navigate this often-confusing process,
Unum has developed Bringing Up Baby: A Guide to Workplace Parental
Leave Resources, which contains basic tips, timing and
conversation starters to engage with managers and HR representatives.
This guide, along with other employee and HR resources including Unum’s
recent Mental Health Report and Caregiving Report, can be found at unum.com/workwell.
ABOUT UNUM GROUP
Unum
Group is a leading provider of financial protection benefits in the
United States and the United Kingdom and the leading provider of
disability income protection in the world. Its businesses are Unum US,
Colonial Life, Unum UK, and Unum Poland. Unum’s portfolio includes
disability, life, accident and critical illness, dental and vision
coverage, which help protect millions of working people and their
families in the event of an illness or injury. Unum also provides
stop-loss coverage to help self-insured employers protect against
unanticipated medical costs. The company reported revenues of $11.6
billion in 2018, and provided $7.2 billion in benefits.
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View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190611005065/en/
Brad Carmony: 423-294-5238
Toll free: 866-850-8686
Bcarmony@unum.com
Source: Unum Group