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The role of employers in reducing the implementation gap in leave policies

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  • Hipp, Lena
  • Schlüter, Charlotte
  • Molina, Stefania

Abstract

Although parents in almost all rich democracies are entitled to some form of paid parenting leave, fathers in particular often do not take all the leave available to them. As employers play an important role in the implementation of parenting leave policies, this article investigates what workplace characteristics influence mothers' and fathers' uptake of their statutory leave entitlements. In Part 1, we combine data from the OECD and the European Labor Force Survey to estimate the size of the "implementation gap" between statutory leave entitlements and leave uptake for mothers and fathers, and compare the size of this gap across countries. In Parts 2 and 3, we review the literature on structural and cultural workplace factors that promote or hinder parenting leave uptake. We conclude the article with suggestions for further research and stress the need for reliable data on the uptake of parenting leave entitlements and research on non-European countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Hipp, Lena & Schlüter, Charlotte & Molina, Stefania, 2022. "The role of employers in reducing the implementation gap in leave policies," Discussion Papers, Junior Research Group Work and Care SP I 2022-502, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:wzbwac:spi2022502
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Claire Samtleben & Julia Bringmann & Mareike Bünning & Lena Hipp, 2019. "What Helps and What Hinders? Exploring the Role of Workplace Characteristics for Parental Leave Use and Its Career Consequences," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 8(10), pages 1-30, September.
    2. Christina Boll & Julian Leppin & Nora Reich, 2014. "Paternal childcare and parental leave policies: evidence from industrialized countries," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 129-158, March.
    3. Nevena Zhelyazkova & Gilbert Ritschard, 2018. "Parental Leave Take-Up of Fathers in Luxembourg," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 37(5), pages 769-793, October.
    4. Carmen Castro-García & Maria Pazos-Moran, 2016. "Parental Leave Policy and Gender Equality in Europe," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(3), pages 51-73, July.
    5. Samtleben, Claire & Bringmann, Julia & Bünning, Mareike & Hipp, Lena, 2019. "What Helps and What Hinders? Exploring the Role of Workplace Characteristics for Parental Leave Use and Its Career Consequences," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 8(10), pages 1-1.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    parenting/parental leave; policy implementation; workplace culture; gender equality; Elternzeit; Politikumsetzung; Arbeitsplatzkultur; Geschlechtergleichstellung;
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