In plain words
A fathers' quota, sometimes called a daddy quota, is a set number of leave days that only the father can use. The days cannot be moved to the mother. If the father does not take them, they are usually lost. Nordic and other European countries use quotas to encourage fathers to spend time at home with a new baby. Uptake under these policies tends to be much higher than under leave that couples can split as they choose. The idea is that some fathers would not take leave without a reserved share. Quebec's reserved paternity days in Canada are a well-known example. California's does not reserve days for fathers. Quotas are a policy choice, and they raise questions about fairness, cost, and family choice.
The deeper version
A fathers' quota is a non-transferable entitlement within parental leave, reserved for the father and often described as use it or lose it. Design details matter: the length of the quota, whether it is paid at the full rate, and whether it can be shifted to the mother. Patnaik (2019, Journal of Labor Economics) studied Quebec's reserved-days policy and found a large rise in fathers' leave-taking. Studies of Nordic quotas generally report increases in fathers' take-up, with variation across countries and periods. The main debate is whether quota leave changes household time use or mainly shifts the timing of leave.
Where it comes up
- Leave for partners and non-birthing parentsCalifornia: Leave, Money, and Paperwork
- Pregnancy and parental leave in California: the mapCalifornia: Leave, Money, and Paperwork
- What a partner does in the first weeksSupport, Home, and Village
- Paid Family Leave (PFL) for bondingCalifornia: Leave, Money, and Paperwork
What mothers here say about fathers' quota
No one has posted under this term yet.
Sources
- Patnaik A — Reserving time for daddy: the consequences of fathers' quotas. Journal of Labor Economics 2019
- OECD — Family Database: parental leave systems