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Leaves due to the birth of children have evolved in recent years.

So much so that they have even changed their name: before we talked about maternity and paternity leave, and now they are called birth and child care benefits.

The most interesting thing is how its duration has evolved: since 2021, both the father and the mother have the right to

16 weeks

of sick leave each.

This has meant a revolution if we talk about conciliation.

Because mothers had been granted this 16-week leave since 1989, but fathers had not: for many years it was four miserable days for men, in which they did not even have time to learn how to change a diaper;

In 2007 a leap was made and the permit was raised to 15 days, something is something;

In 2017 it became four weeks (28 days);

In 2018 we went up to five weeks (35 days) and, indeed, since 2021, there is already an equalization: 16 weeks.

"That time is essential," says Dani, a new father who is enjoying the leave, "both to team up with the mother and to spend time with the baby and generate a bond. After all, he is a new human being who "He just got home, so we have to get to know each other."

Another father, Chema, thinks the same and adds: "It is a very special situation that you will not have another opportunity to experience, your child's first months only happen once."

The new approach to equated permits has been enthusiastically welcomed and is working well.

Official Social Security data indicate that in the first nine months of 2023, approximately 350,000 withdrawals were processed and their average duration was 110 days in the case of women and

103 days in the case of men

.

If we take into account that 16 weeks are 112 days, the conclusion is that the vast majority of people who are entitled to this benefit are enjoying it practically completely.

Arturo Fernández-Villaverde

Arturo Fernández-Villaverde

did it with his second son.

"The first was born five years ago and on that occasion I was out for five weeks, which was in effect. Now it's been 16."

Arturo divided his leave: the first six weeks after the birth of the baby and the other 10 he saved for the moment when his wife's leave ended.

"I was clear that I was going to enjoy all the leave and I was lucky that my company gave me all the

facilities

."

This father works at CEDETI, an organization dependent on the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.

"At the company

they congratulated me

, they asked me how I wanted to do it and they totally supported me, I am very grateful."

Daniel Suarez

Daniel Suárez

is another happy dad.

He is in the midst of a whirlwind of bottles and diapers, and he recognizes that his company, Garsa, where he acts as a mortgage tutor, has also made it very easy for him.

"They have helped me a lot, it is something that is valued, especially when you are a father for the first time. They even sent me a basket to the hospital!" He says.

Daniel was on sick leave for the first six weeks and has saved the rest of his leave for when his wife's leave runs out.

"Although we would love to enjoy them at the same time, if you alternate you ensure that the baby does not have to go to daycare at four months, which for us

is too early

," he says, and points out: "The law allows you to extend that period as long as maximum possible".

Chema Guillamont

Chema Guillamot

is another father involved, who was also clear that he was going to take full advantage of his leave.

When he had his second child, he received maximum support: "My wife encouraged me, my whole family, friends... I make special mention of the company where I work [a financial consulting firm], because they welcomed my fatherhood very well and They gave me all kinds of facilities, even though it is a company in which few people work, and where

a loss is very noticeable

."

The case of Daniel, Arturo and Chema is ideal, especially in regards to the support they have received in their respective work environments.

But they know of cases in which things have not been so easy.

"There is a lot to do," says Chema, "I have many friends who are parents and some have not been able to enjoy even the mandatory six weeks. I understand that this happens due to the

pressure exerted

on companies, some have not internalized the permits for the parents".

There is still work to raise awareness

"It is true," adds Daniel, "that there is a sector that does not see it at all well that the father is on sick leave for the same amount of time as the mother, so there is still work to raise awareness."

Arturo, for his part, believes that professional commitment is not incompatible with dedication to the baby during the first months of life: "In my case, I have been able to enjoy the leave but at the same time it was my responsibility to also take into account the needs of the department I work in. And I organized it so that everything fit together,

you don't need to give up anything

."

"Awareness of the business fabric, key"

The adaptation of companies to the new reality is essential for the success of these measures.

Áurea Benito, director of Human Resources at ISDIN and vice president of the Spanish Association of Human Resources Directors, considers that the equalization of permits "was necessary if we want to create equitable environments, because when it was not like that, women were at a disadvantage in the work environment".

This directive explains that there is enormous awareness in companies, something that is facilitating the evolution towards a more balanced labor market.

"There is an evident awareness on the part of the business community, which has to be an agent of change. The future will be inclusive or it will not be."

However, he recognizes that it is not always easy for a company to manage this type of permits, especially because its flexibility requires the search for solutions.

Mothers usually enjoy the first 16 weeks consecutively, but fathers tend to split them to alternate, and lengthen the time that the baby stays at home: they do enjoy the first six weeks as soon as the child is born, because that is what establishes the law, but the other 10 they handle as they want.

"The complex thing is the substitutions, because there are many variables: each person chooses how to enjoy the permission of it...".

Indeed, there is no standard permit, each person handles it

as they wish

.

And that also has its bad side: "You generate a lot of uncertainty for the replacement," assumes this ISDIN directive, "she doesn't know how long she will be there, and that also causes some instability in the company."

Large gender gap in leaves of absence

And the excesses?

That is another sing.

Because leave is one thing, and subsequent unpaid leaves of absence are another.

And there remains an abysmal difference.

We go back to the Social Security data: in the first nine months of last year, more than 44,000 leaves of absence were requested in Spain, of which

85% were requested by women

.

Carolina Vidal, confederal secretary of Women, Equality and Working Conditions at CCOO, is clear that "all leaves must be paid. Unpaid leave perpetuates inequality, because leave falls on women, who generally have a worse job position and, therefore, less salary."

For Vidal, remuneration for leaves of absence is key to moving towards labor equality.

But he adds two more.

On the one hand, he advocates a new role for men: "Conciliation as such is of no use to us, what we must pursue is a co-responsible conciliation. It is not about helping women, because in that case, the responsibility remains being from the mother, but that there is a

real distribution

.

Thirdly, the union has been asking the Government for a care law for some time, "that provides the resources so that these do not fall on women, and that we can freely choose whether we want to care or not."

Despite everything, Carolina Vidal recognizes the enormous advances of recent years: "We already knew that in Spain there are sexists, but I don't think we are a sexist society. More and more men assume that caring is not a women's issue."

The fucking men: those who help

In the case of parenting, this women's rights activist still speaks with some humor about what she calls pinche men, "who are the ones who help a little, but continue to leave the bulk of the work and responsibility to the mother." "In fact, some take advantage of paternity leave to join the gym or even take a trip. Fortunately, awareness is spreading and fathers are becoming more and more involved."

"It is an educational issue," concludes Arturo, "we must be aware of the couple's situation, we are an equal team and we must row in the same direction."

  • Work-life balance