Men and parental leave

Fathers on parental leave are playing an increasingly important role in the family. They are helping to break down traditional role models and improve the compatibility of family and career. Even though it is encouraging to see how attitudes towards fatherhood and society are slowly changing for the better, there is a need for broad education to break down role stereotypes. According to the Federal Statistical Office, only 26.1% of fathers received parental allowance in 2022, for an average of 3.6 months. In contrast, 73.9% of women received it for an average of 14.6 months in 2022.

It would not only be beneficial for families, but also for companies and other employers if more fathers took parental leave. Companies that support fathers on parental leave can benefit from greater employee loyalty, a positive image and a more diverse, innovative corporate culture. We therefore encourage fathers to be active parents, because masculinity/fatherhood has many facets. “Be a man, take parental leave” is a campaign by the Equal Opportunities Office, inspired by the company Madame Moneypenny/ Berlin, whom we would like to thank for the literature references.

With our drink covers, we also draw attention to who ultimately “pays the bill”. If men take little parental leave and therefore responsibility, the traditional distribution of roles remains in place, with numerous long-term (including financial) disadvantages for mothers. Hence our encouraging appeal: “Be a man, take parental leave.”