One of the leading commercial banks in Nigeria, Access Bank Plc, has announced its approval of a week fully paid “Paternity Leave” to male employees to allow them partake in child care, from January 2018.
According to the Head of Human Resources, Bolaji Agbede, the policy is to complement the bank’s existing health and flexible workplace benefits, which support work-life balance.
“These benefits supplement the 12 weeks of paid leave Access Bank currently provides to birth mothers.”
The policy is also to afford fathers quality time with the newborn while supporting the new mother morally and otherwise.
In addition, it covers a surrogacy or adoptive leave, with full pay for three months for female employees of the bank.
According to Agbede, studies have shown that fathers who take paternity leave are more likely to take an active role in childcare tasks and will continue to play this role long after the period of leave has ended.
“It is important for the new father to take time off as it helps all parents, regardless of family structure.
“This new policy is an evidence of the bank’s support to employees during this wonderful but challenging time in their lives.”
She also stated that a pregnant employee who has been in the bank’s employment for 12 consecutive months also has the option of six calendar months’ Maternity Leave with an entitlement of two-thirds of full month pay.
Surrogacy or adoptive leave period is three calendar months, with full pay or six calendar months leave with two-thirds of full month pay, she added.
Countries and how they stand
Paternity Leave is a period, a male employee takes a legal entitled paid absence from work, after the birth of his child.
Studies have shown that the number of fathers or males attending the birth of the children has skyrocketed in the last few years, thus, the need to incur fathers into modern day parenting.
Paternity Leave is being practiced in host of Countries around the world in Europe, America, and Africa.
In the United Kingdom, paternity leave is two weeks in the first eight weeks after birth, while in the United States, there is 12 weeks of unpaid Parental leave, Paternal Leave would depend on the consent of the employer.
In 2017, Spanish fathers saw their paternity leave increase from two weeks to four weeks, while in Germany, men can stay at home for up to 14 months with a 67% salary.
Scandinavian or Nordic States like; Norway, Sweden. Iceland offer Paternity leave of various forms, some which can last a year.
In Africa, Kenya and Burundi give two weeks Paternity Leave, while Cameroon, Chad, Gabon and Cote d’Ivoire men, get 10 days paternity leave.
In November 2017, South Africa parliament amended it Labour Act Bill, giving fathers in South Africa the right to 10 days’ paid Paternity Leave.
In Nigeria, Lagos and Enugu are States that grant 10 working-days Paternity Leave to male employees who would like to join their wives in parenting, which only apply to the first two births.
