Employers must drive embedding of paternal leave in work culture

Businesses with good practices to help employees return from parental leave significantly ease the burdens on new parents, says Caroline Reidy of insurer NFP Ireland

Caroline Reidy, head of HR solutions at insurer NFP Ireland, an Aon company.

Paternity leave, like maternity leave, must become part of everyday workplace culture, giving a competitive advantage to employers who play a pioneering role in its advancement.

In this Q&A interview, Caroline Reidy, head of HR solutions at insurer NFP Ireland, an Aon company, says that those employers and businesses with good practices in place for helping employees return from parental leave significantly ease the practical and emotional burdens on new parents.

She cites good and bad findings for Ireland in the Central Statistics Office’s recent review of parental leave culture in Ireland, entitled ‘Employment Analysis of Maternity and Paternity Benefits 2019-2025’.

In 2025, more women than men availed of parental leave benefits. In terms of sectors, those working in health and social work as well as in public administration and defence were more likely to avail of parental leave than those working in accommodation, food service, agriculture, forestry and fishing.

How can employers and policymakers help further embed paternity benefit in the Irish workplace?

Paternity Benefit has become an established part of Ireland’s family leave landscape, but the latest Central Statistics Office figures show we are still some distance from it being fully normalised in the workplace. Uptake among fathers in employment rose from 48.6% in 2020 to 54.7% in 2023. That upward trend is welcome, but it also tells us that a sizeable proportion of eligible fathers are still not claiming the benefit.

For employers, the starting point is simple: paternity leave should be treated as a normal, expected part of working life, and employees who wish to take it should be proactively supported to do so. Policies need to be visible, clearly written and actively communicated to expectant parents and line managers. Where possible, employers should also look at topping up the State benefit, because the financial reality of taking leave is a real barrier for many families.

Culture matters just as much as policy. If fathers sense that taking leave will be quietly frowned upon or if they feel they’ll be leaving colleagues “in the lurch” with additional work, they may be reluctant to use their entitlement. It’s up to the employers to make it clear to their workforce that taking paternity leave is expected, supported, and planned for. Policymakers can reinforce this through public awareness, better data and targeted supports for sectors and smaller employers where uptake remains lower.

What would you view as useful practices before and upon returning to work to help improve the paternity leave experience for participants?

The paternity leave experience is often shaped ever before the baby arrives. A supportive conversation between the employee and their manager can make a big difference. They should discuss things like cover for the role, the handover, workload involved. Any practical concerns the employee has can be raised here and they should be made feel at ease to do so.

Ultimately, the message should be: this is your entitlement, and we will plan around it.

Good practice includes providing a short checklist for expectant parents, confirming pay and benefit arrangements, identifying cover for urgent work and agreeing whether there will be any contact during the leave period.

Employers should also remember that paternity leave is short, protected time. Employees should not feel expected to keep one eye on emails while they are adjusting to one of the biggest changes they will ever go through in life – adding a new person to their family.

A short re-entry conversation can help the employee settle back in. Ideally this would just be a fairly information catch-up , covering things like work priorities, any developments during the absence. Addressing whether short-term flexibility is needed would also go along way. Statutory paternity leave is brief but becoming a parent is not. Employers who recognise that are more likely to build loyalty, trust and engagement.

 Which findings in the latest CSO analysis did you find most encouraging? And which were most discouraging?

The most encouraging aspect of the CSO analysis is that the direction of travel is positive. More fathers are claiming Paternity Benefit than in previous years, and uptake increased across most sectors between 2022 and 2023. That suggests the entitlement is gradually becoming more familiar and accepted across the labour market.

The figures for larger employers are also instructive. In enterprises with 250 or more employees, uptake reached 65.3% in 2023 which is not altogether surprising. Larger organisations are more likely to have formal HR systems, clearer policies and greater capacity to manage temporary absences. It shows that when structures are in place, fathers are more likely to use the leave available to them.

The more discouraging findings are the persistent gaps. Fathers working in Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing were least likely to claim Paternity Benefit in 2023, at 31%, compared with 69.8% in Education. Uptake was also lowest in very small enterprises, with 36.7% of fathers in firms with 0 to 9 employees claiming the benefit. These gaps show that legal entitlement alone is not enough. Workplace culture, operational pressures, job security and family finances all influence whether fathers feel able to step away from work.

What are the key gains for those employers who view paternity benefit as core to company culture?

Treating paternity benefit as an entirely legitimate entitlement, rather than merely a compliance requirement sends a strong message that employers recognise that caring responsibilities that come with having children are not just the domain of women and that fathers are expected and encouraged to play an active role at home.

There are also clear business benefits. Employees are more likely to feel committed to an employer that supports them at major life moments.

People are more loyal to a workplace that backs them when it matters, and potential employees are more attracted to a workplace culture that supports both their home and work life.

Practical gains should not be overlooked either. When paternity leave is planned properly, handovers are better and teams aren't left scrambling because there is less dependence on one individual.

In that sense, supporting fathers to take leave is not a disruption to good business practice; it is part of it.

Ultimately, paternity benefit will only be fully embedded when fathers feel as comfortable taking it as mothers do taking maternity leave. That requires law, policy and workplace culture to work together. The CSO figures show progress, but they also remind us that access in theory and access in practice are not always the same thing.