Since the extension of birth leave for fathers (and co-mothers), one in five (22%) do not take their full period they are entitled to, according to an alysis by HR service provider Attentia, based on the salary data of almost 17,000 Belgian employees between 2018 and 2024.
It is mainly older fathers and co-mothers (27%), managers (23%) and manual labourers (23%) who are not taking their leave.
Birth leave (or paternity leave) is a period of paid leave for the mother's partner, to be taken within four months of the birth of their child. From 2018 to 2020, when birth leave was still ten days, 16% of partners did not take it in full.
From 2022, when this leave was extended to 15 days, that percentage rose to 22%. Even when it was further extended to 20 days from 2023, more than a fifth (21.5%) were unable or unwilling to take it in full.
There are several reasons why fathers and co-mothers do not take their full birth leave, according to Nathalie Lucas of Attentia. Financial considerations may play a role, as full pay is not provided for the entire period.
"In addition to this financial barrier, some people are also influenced by work pressure and the feeling that they are indispensable at work. Finally, not everyone is sufficiently aware of the possibility of spreading the leave over four months," she said.
It also appears that older fathers and co-mothers, managers and manual labourers in particular are leaving days unused.
"The fact that older people and managers in particular make less use of their right to paternity leave may indicate persistent patterns in our work culture," Lucas said. "The higher someone is on the ladder, the greater the pressure to always be available."
