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While paternity leave is gaining some ground, it is largely dependent on the professional context in which fathers work. For example, few freelancers use it.
Ludovic Blanc is an independent lawyer and father of two girls aged six and two. With each birth, he could have taken his paternity leave, but he gave it up to continue working. “It was inconceivable for me to have a parenthesis completely out of business, out of income. For a month, my new clients would probably not have understood (…), I had legal deadlines“, he explains. To balance his professional and family life, he picks up his children from school.
Only 46% of the self-employed take their leave
Today, paternity leave is gradually gaining ground. But disparities between workers remain. Only 46% of the self-employed use it, much less than the national average, at 71%. Conversely, 91% of civil servants on permanent contracts benefit from it. Another element to take into account: age and type of occupation. Company culture also matters a lot. Some specialists are calling for paternity leave to be made compulsory.