Between 2013 and 2021, the share of fathers taking paternity leave at the birth of their child rose from 68% to 71%, notes this study by the Department of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics (Drees).
The use of paternity leave is progressing, but inequalities persist. This is what emerges from a study by the Department of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics (Drees) on leave taken by parents on the occasion of the birth of a child published this Thursday, July 20.
>> The history of paternity leave in France
To be eligible for paternity or maternity leave, the parents must, at the time of the birth, be employed or unemployed with benefits during the last 12 months. They thus receive compensation, subject to conditions. According to this DREES survey, 29% of eligible fathers do not take paternity leave. By way of comparison, 7% of mothers do not use it.
However, between 2013 and 2021, the period covered by the study, the proportion of fathers taking paternity leave at the birth of their child rose from 68% to 71%. More and more fathers are therefore asserting this right. But disparities persist between salaried fathers, the self-employed, executives or the unemployed.
Feeling of “illegitimacy” of the unemployed
Thus, in 2021, only 13% of unemployment benefit fathers took their paternity leave, while three-quarters of employed fathers (76%) took it. By way of comparison, 75% of unemployed mothers on benefits took maternity leave, compared to 95% of employed mothers. This non-recourse is explained by poor information, according to the DREES. Although some unemployed fathers are unaware of this, they are nevertheless entitled to paternity leave, because they receive benefits or because they received them in the year preceding the birth. There is also a “feeling of illegitimacy”, according to Dress. However, paternity leave makes it possible to suspend job search obligations and defer entitlement to benefits.
For the self-employed or the liberal professions, the use of paternity leave is also increasing. It rose from 32% in 2013 to 46% in 2021. But this rate remains much lower than that of fathers who are civil servants or employees on permanent contracts. 91% of them assert their rights. It is 82% for private sector employees. The survey finds that the more frequent entry into the system of self-employed fathers or fathers on a short contract has been accompanied by an increase in paternity leave taken partially. According to the DREES, this partial appeal constitutes for the self-employed “a compromise between a norm of paternal presence which is more and more essential and a constraint of professional presence stronger for them”.
This study also shows that in 2021, a majority of fathers (72%) take this leave in the week following the birth of their child. In 2013, they were only half in this case (49%). This testifies “the growing value of the reception time of the newborn”, write the authors. To extend this time spent with their child, two out of five fathers even claim to have combined their paternity leave with other types of leave.
Since the reform, the popular 25 days, with disparities
In July 2021, the reform of paternity leave entered into force, extending its duration from 11 to 25 days, in addition to the three days already compulsory since 2002. Fathers therefore benefit from a maximum of 28 days at the birth of their child, with the possibility of splitting them. According to the survey, over the last six months of 2021, two-thirds of fathers (65%) took all of their days in one or more times. The majority of them (80%) took it straight away. Those who divide (20%) by taking their days in two parts are most often executives. They do this so as not to be absent for too long, highlighting their managerial responsibilities. They are also fathers who do not have the choice of keeping days off for organizational reasons linked to childcare or the mother’s return to work.
The DREES also provides the first lessons from an ongoing study of 54 fathers of children aged around one year, whether or not they have benefited from the reform. Conducted between April and September 2022, this study shows that almost all of the fathers questioned took all the days of paternity leave to which they were entitled. For the people targeted by the survey, paternity leave appears to be a “evidence”, which responds to a need to be associated with the birth of their children. It also appears that the professional environment of the fathers questioned turns out to be rather facilitative towards fathers who take paternity leave.
But here again, some disparities exist. Some constraints have been internalized by the fathers, especially the managers. The precariousness of professional status can also influence the implementation of paternity leave. For the self-employed, the temporary cessation of work is sometimes perceived as a professional risk, with the loss of customers or financial losses. The daily allowances paid by Social Security are capped in 2023 at approximately 95 euros net per day for employees, 60 euros for the self-employed. Fathers whose income is falling must therefore anticipate it. Some go so far as to give up taking all of the paternity leave. This is the case for some self-employed people, but also for employees whose company does not fully compensate for the loss of income.
Sharing of tasks: progress to be made
The July 2021 reform had two main objectives: to strengthen the presence of the father with the child and the father-child bond, and to promote gender equality by rebalancing the sharing of domestic tasks (household and parental) between the father and the mother. The survey shows that progress remains to be made.
Parents interviewed for the study report an unequal distribution of domestic work between spouses. Despite increased investment by fathers during their paternity leave, mothers accomplish more overall. In addition to parenting and some shared household chores, women often manage additional tasks, “with a gender specialization that affects the performance of certain tasks”, explains the study. She cites the care of laundry, or the mental burden of planning domestic life, which is mainly the responsibility of mothers.
The answers of the people targeted by the survey highlight a modification of the new family balance set up during paternity leave when the father resumes his professional activity. This recovery occurs in most cases before that of the mother. “This generally comes to (re)create inequality in the management of domestic tasks”, notes the DREES. For the authors of the survey, the mother’s return to work again means a less unequal sharing of tasks. It is experienced by some mothers as a relief.