Have you heard of Paternity Leave?
Recently, a lawmaker want to update the Paternity Leave Act of 1996 which allow married men employees can file a leave for only seven days with benefits to 15 days.
But if the said law will be revised, according to Rep. Edcel B. Lagman of Albay, the amendment also grants every husband to another 15 days of unpaid leave to prolong the time spent with his wife and newborn after delivery.
He added that a husband’s physical presence is essential for the recovery of his wife during the first month after childbirth. He raised his concerns saying that every mother is at risk of postpartum depression since their hormones are going haywire while they attend to their child’s needs 24/7 and a husband’s presence is also medically proven to reduce this disorder. However, it’s better to have the presence of the husband which he can look over his wife and baby.
With its proposed revision, it will lengthen the paid leave benefits of all married male employees and provide them additional unpaid leave benefits for the first four deliveries of legitimate spouse, which wouldn’t be deducted from his annual leave credits. The said bill is currently on-hold at the Committee of Labor and Employment chaired by Rep. Karlo Alexei B. Nograles of Davao City.
