Dad Media on Paternity Leave

Daddy Brad: Welcome back to this special edition of the lab. We are here in Old town Stockholm, Sweden and these weeks episode is brought to you by Baby Bjorn. Daddy Clay: Well we spend a lot of our time here in Stockholm, listing the folks talk to us about their paternity leave system. In this episode we give our collective responses to this interesting policy. We are in Stockholm Sweden at the home of the father who is currently on paternity leave. We have been here in Sweden talking all about father issues particularly about paternity leave and all those support the Swedish System offers and then several members the media that have joined us on this trip I am here with Rob Camp he is freelance journalist and also an assignment from fathers quarterly and also Tom Birja who is the Publisher of the website dad.info and you know the other guy over there, Daddy Brad. Just of the top what have you been your impressions. Male: Excellent. Daddy Brad: I was blown away. Male: It made a very serious attempt so might it possible for guys to stay home with their kids. Daddy Clay: Did you feel at all sort of jealous or wistful as you see what these guys get. Male: I would not allow to have six months paid time off to look after the kids. Daddy Clay: No one instruct me as that you know in the UK and also in the US there are men that do this but they do so as a conscious decision and a great sacrifice. Male: We have been asking these guys you know how on earth did you come about doing this and they kind of look at us blankly and they say, “Why are you asking such weird questions everyone does it here.” Daddy Clay: What have you learned about—what must be happening on the other end for these guys to feel so safe to go do this and take his time off? Male: I have also realized it works or them. The employers would not be doing this unless letting guy have six months off work paid fully equal no doubts but they would not do that unless they know—not only does it work for the individual employee and his family and in his home life. They got a better products comeback to them after paternity leave. As in society in general, they realize that the Dad’s were always so crucial. Dad Clay: But even if there was a system in place that allowed you to take the leave, is there a sort of culture of competitiveness that would lead if you did take the time off you know that guy in the next office is going to be after your title. Male: If there is any threat to your career, you are going to run away from it because families depend on managed income and men tend to earn more than women so family stability tends to depend more on what the guy is earning. Daddy Clay: Can we take any of this back and export it from Sweden to the US, the UK. What are the obstacles that this kind of program faces in our home countries? Male: I think in an ideal world it would be the State—it would be the a government thing that was done. But I have done some place that kind of forward thinking. Because the results would not be seen for 20 or 30 years possibly for society and the economy so, I think to begin with you would have to maybe implement it at private sector firms I know what you going to say which company is what mine would save that up. Daddy Brad: It is going to take a private sector buy in from large companies that can afford it but it also going to take some incentive for the government to say okay we are going to at least 11 this plain field a little bit because things are so cut throughout business this days you know. Would be in giving your competitor a leg up initially is going to be hard to do. Also is going to come down to we get the best talent your doing you know if you are progressive thinking, taking the company. Male: For the companies in the UK like BT, Lloyd’s TSB realizing that if they want to attract the best than they need to offer flexibility for the guys as well because the demand on those guys to be involved at home is more than it is for a generation back. If guys start accepting jobs with the companies that offer the best package.