A study on ‘Fathers on parental leave’ in Malta, commissioned by the Employment and Training Corporation, carried out research on fathers on leave, employers and decision makers. The study analyses the motivating factors that encouraged 10 Maltese fathers to take parental leave. It also looks at the obstacles that they encountered and how employers dealt with the issue of men taking parental leave. Overall, the practice of men taking parental leave in Malta remains low.
About the study
A joint study entitled ‘Fathers on parental leave’ has been carried out in Denmark, Lithuania, Malta and Iceland based on qualitative research with fathers on leave, employers and decision makers. In Malta, the research was commissioned by the Employment and Training Corporation (ETC). The study is part of a wider transnational EU-funded project entitled ‘Modern men in enlarged Europe: Developing innovative gender equality strategies’. The project leader was the Centre for Equality Advancement (Lygių galimybių plėtros centras) in Lithuania and the Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman of Lithuania (Lygių galimybių kontrolieriaus tarnyba), together with partners from the Danish Research Centre for Gender Equality (Center for Ligestillingsforskning, CAT) and the Gender Equality Centre in Iceland (Jafnréttisstofa).
Maltese parents working in the private sector can take up to three months’ unpaid parental leave. Those working in the public sector can take a whole year off as parental leave and a one-off five-year career break in order to take care of children less than six years of age. All fathers who participated in this research worked in the public sector and collectively they took on average over 72 weeks of leave a year – 52 weeks of parental leave and the rest career break leave.
Methodology
This qualitative research consisted of 10 face-to-face interviews with Maltese fathers who took parental leave and four interviews with public sector employers who had experience with employees taking this type of leave.
Main findings
Experience of and reactions to parental leave
All of the working fathers interviewed revealed that they took parental leave to spend time with their children. However, they also tended to have other reasons for doing so, such as having their partner or spouse working on a full-time basis, or because they wanted to spend some time away from work and take advantage of a career break.
Most fathers reported that their uptake of parental leave was generally met with positive reactions, although some people around them were surprised at the idea of the father rather than the mother taking parental leave. Those who expressed negative remarks included those who regarded parental leave taken by the father as something unusual, while others expressed their concerns that men on parental leave can jeopardise their jobs as a result.
Fathers’ perceptions of parental leave
In general, parental leave was viewed as a special period during which fathers had time to enjoy with their children. About half of fathers interviewed did not find parental leave stressful when compared to their jobs; the other half of respondents reported that they had been busier during parental leave than when at work. In most cases, the decision of fathers to avail of parental leave was taken jointly with their partner. All of the respondents stated that taking parental leave had a positive effect on the relationship with their partner mainly because they had more time to spend together, which improved communication and mutual understanding between both partners.
Taking parental leave also meant that fathers had more time to bond with their children, leading to better communication between them. Some fathers remarked that they could also understand their children through non-verbal communication – for example, through a simple gesture or by a particular look that the child would give.
Impact of taking parental leave
When asked what they appreciated most from their experience, fathers reported that parental leave gave them time to appreciate their family and other aspects of life besides work and gave them direct experience of their children. On the other hand, since parental leave is unpaid, fathers remarked that taking such leave involved a considerable financial setback which required them to change their lifestyle. Others expressed concern that this form of leave may have a negative effect on their career prospects and had exposed them to some negative and judgemental attitudes. Some fathers found it challenging to create their own routine and to adjust to a more flexible schedule while on parental leave.
A number of fathers reported that the positive effects of the time spent together with the child during the parental leave period had a long-lasting positive effect on their children. Some respondents remarked that they felt more complete as a person and that they could manage to approach any situation following this experience. They said that parental leave had helped them to become better fathers.
More support required by fathers
Most of the fathers suggested that they should be given some financial support during their parental leave period. Among other things, some respondents felt the need for guidelines on how to replace their work routine and how to be more efficient at home. It is interesting to note that fathers felt that the optimum duration of the parental leave period should be between two and four years.
Employer reactions
All employers were of the opinion that having an employee on parental leave was disruptive and interfered with the smooth running of their operations. In fact, some employers insisted that they be given a replacement worker before the parental leave period started. In another case, the employers tried to dissuade the employee from taking parental leave and instead suggested the option of working reduced hours. It was common for employers to believe that parental leave is often used by fathers to make a career change. On the other hand, the employers noted that fathers who availed of this leave matured as a result of this experience and saw this as a fundamentally praiseworthy option.
Reference
Callus, C. (ed.), Fathers on parental leave: A joint report based on qualitative research with fathers on leave, employers and decision makers in Lithuania, Iceland, Denmark and Malta (424Kb PDF), Vilnius, Eugrimas, Centre for Equality Advancement, 2005.
Anna Borg, Centre for Labour Studies