The US is in dire need of more progressive paternal leave policies

Readers, I’m fired up. For a country that boasts being ahead of the curve in technology, education, and health care (although not affordability), the US is sorely lacking when it comes to parental leave. According to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, only about 26% of workers had access to paid family leave benefits as of March of this year. Paternity leave, in particular, is in an even worse state: These United States are part of a group of 82 other countries without national paid paternity leave.

But it’s not just the government that’s behind on the issue—it’s also our society. Recent news of US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg taking paternity leave to care for his newborn twins elicited criticism from the likes of Fox News host Tucker Carlson and podcaster Joe Rogan. Surprising? Hardly. Yet writer Danielle Cohen felt compelled to ask what a good amount of us are thinking: “Are We Really Still Arguing About Paternity Leave?”

Apparently so. Buttigieg responded by telling CNN that taking parental leave is something “every American ought to be able to do as they welcome a new child into their family.” He wasn’t the only one crying foul. Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian recently shared his 2020 essay arguing in favor of paid paternity leave. Outside of Buttigieg and Ohanian, though, the radio silence from other top leaders on the issue is deafening and an indicator that a push for change from within may not be coming.

Actual progress supporting parental leave has proven sluggish. In its latest negotiations, the Democrat-controlled Congress removed provisions from its spending bill supporting 12—and later four—weeks of paid family leave, which included elder care. Meanwhile, things aren’t looking much better in the private sector, with just 23% of employees having access to paid leave, compared to 89% with unpaid leave benefits.

So where does that leave us? With our heads in the sand. When we don’t support paternity leave on a national level, we leave working women to shoulder the entire burden of family care. And that means a pay cut for all of us.