(France) Fathers to get 'bonuses' for paternity leave
Fathers to get 'bonuses' for paternity leave
French President François Hollande this week announced plans to give financial incentives to encourage fathers to take their fair share of parental leave.
Speaking at a convention on equality on Thursday, the French president said the reform was necessary to ensure women spend less time out of work, which can harm their career prospects, and to encourage second parents - in most cases fathers - to share the burden of parental leave ('congé parental').
In France 'congé parental' can be taken by either parent at the end of maternity leave, but statistics show it is taken up by mothers in 96 percent of cases. This is a figure the government has its sights set on re-balancing.
"Today, less than 4% of those taking parental leave are men," said Hollande. "This means that for the most part, parental leave is for women, but it sometimes ends up working against women, when they cannot find a job again."
http://www.thelocal.fr/page/view/france-to-pay-fathers-bonus-to-take-paternity-leave#.UTu0CDei2So