When it comes to setting and accomplishing quotas, Japanese companies are consistently successful, and promoting paternity leave is no exception. Companies are seeing 70%, 80%, even 90%+ of their male staff taking leave, but these numbers don’t tell the true story. A staff member who took only a single day of paternity leave would be counted, but that doesn’t mean they used or valued that time to care for their family. Men have to actually take on a meaningful portion of the household work and childcare during paternity leave, which means they must first be willing to take the time to learn how to do so.
Learning Cycle recently held an invitation-only event for HR and DEI professionals in partnership with Mr. Daisuke Hosokawa of Human Resources at a prominent television company in Tokyo to learn about and discuss the current state of paternity leave. His personal experience of taking one and a half years of paternity leave has given credibility to and greatly informed his work as a parental leave manager. He stands as a role model for other new fathers in his company.
Dedication to Family Makes Paternity Leave a Success
“The company might let you down at some point, but your family and children never will. So, take this opportunity to go on parental leave.”
Mr. Hosokawa believes that more men must develop the mindset that “paternity leave is important” and take on more responsibility at home. Mr. Hosokawa pushes his charges to take at least 6 months of leave, as that gives them enough time to recognize how much work there is to do in the home and learn the skills to adequately care for their children on their own. He says,
“If we think about these fathers as if they were new employees, imagine having a new hire who doesn’t take initiative unless told, does a poor job on menial tasks, only does what they like and waits for orders, or can’t handle tasks alone. Everyone would immediately think, ‘What a terrible employee.’ Yet, in the context of household chores and childcare, there’s a tendency to dismiss such behavior as ‘just how some men are.’”
Preparing for Leave: Considering Every Variable
Mr. Hosokawa has found that some staff are resistant to the idea of paternity leave. He takes the time to walk each new father through all of their available options, providing specific advice on how to maximize their paid leave period and manage finances. He has found that employees feel more comfortable taking paternity leave after this consultation.
Discussion and comments from the HR and DEI professionals in the audience followed his presentation. Some reported that their company cultures are still not quite on board with paternity leave, even though it is offered freely to staff. Their challenge is helping staff to understand that taking leave is okay.
Others have successfully encouraged paternity leave but struggle to balance the workload for remaining team members. All in all, there was admiration for Mr. Hosokawa’s efforts to promote paternity leave as DEI intervention programs are typically led and managed by female HR members.
Global Perspectives on Paternity Leave
In the second half of the event, Learning Cycle presented data about international trends of paternity leave. The adoption rate and average length of paternity leave are predicted to grow, but it is critical that companies remain vigilant about how and when staff are choosing to take paternity leave. It isn’t meant to be a vacation.
Sekisui House found that there are still many men who take parental leave and, according to their self-report and their wives, fail to contribute equally to housework or caretaking tasks. Therefore, companies should be working to instill new fathers with the mindset that they are equally capable of taking on their fair share of caretaking tasks.
This idea is the foundation of equity in the home, a balanced division of labor within a family unit rather than traditional gender roles. As Mr. Hosokawa said, a man’s dominant status is built upon the sacrifice of his wife’s career. When the responsibilities are shared, men gain a firsthand understanding of what it takes to care for a family. With this perspective, they are more likely to have a mindset at work that is inclusive and welcoming of working mothers (and fathers).
As more men effectively utilize their paternity leave, we hope it will have a domino effect on the workforce. Learning Cycle’s own secondment employee has undergone a significant mindset shift. He isn’t a parent himself, but this opportunity to fully immerse himself in work related to diversity, equity, and inclusion inspired him to grow beyond a traditionally male-oriented perspective and instead actively work toward equity in his own married life. Role models like Mr. Hosokawa are helping to show everyone that taking paternity leave is the right thing to do not only for themselves but for their children, creating future generations that fight against gender bias and promote diversity and inclusion.
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