Men take over part of maternal leave

The introduction of paternity and co-mother leave two years ago aimed to equalize parental leave distribution. Recent figures from Udbetaling Danmark indicate success in this objective. Data for children born up to August 1 last year illustrate a shift in the number of weeks parents take for maternity/paternity leave. Since the earmarked paternity leave was enforced, mothers on average took 35.25 weeks of leave, down from 38.96 weeks prior, while fathers or co-mothers took on average 10.30 weeks, up from 6.40 weeks. Overall, the total leave duration hasn’t changed significantly but has become more balanced. Kristine Stenhuus from Udbetaling Danmark notes the pattern echos trends seen earlier in February and that parental behavior may evolve as the new regulations further embed in society. The data only includes leave taken with parental benefits, not unpaid leave or vacation.