The Benefits of Paid Family Leave

1. Paid maternity leave can literally save the lives of children.

A study published in October 2022 found that when California mandated six weeks of paid parental leave from 2004 to 2008, 339 fewer infant deaths occurred on average when compared with states that did not mandate paid parental leave. The researchers estimated that three months of paid parental leave for the whole United States would save nearly one thousand babies (!) per year.

Another study looked at children’s health in 35 countries that belong to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) that had started or expanded paid leave policies. They found that paid leave was associated with a decrease in mortality of infants and all children under 5 in these countries. Specifically, paid maternity leave was associated with a 5.2 percent decrease in newborn death rates, a 2.4 percent decrease in infant death rates, and a 1.9 percent decrease in death rates for children under 5 years.

How does paid leave save lives? Paid leave is associated with a reduced risk for medical conditions that put children at risk. For example, paid leave is associated with a 3.2 percent reduced risk of being low birthweight and a 6.6 percent lower risk of an “early term” birth (translation: birth between 37 and 39 weeks).

Paid leave also increases the likelihood for continued breastfeeding which provides important health benefits to infants. Research also finds that paid parental leave allows parents more time to make sure their child is up-to-date in terms of their well-child visits and vaccinations. Infants are more likely to be vaccinated and less likely to be hospitalized when their parents have paid leave.

Finally, research also shows that paid leave is associated with reduced rates of child abuse and maltreatment and decreased risk of a family dipping below the poverty threshold after the birth of a baby.

2. Maternity leave is essential for the physical and mental health of parents.

Paid leave is not just a nice-to-have perk; it is actually essential for the health of parents and infants. Paid leave is linked with improved blood pressure, healthier BMI, and less pain in mothers. Research finds that infants of women with paid leave are 47 percent less likely to end up back in the hospital and mothers are 51 percent less likely to end up back in the hospital compared to women with no paid leave or women with no leave at all.

Maternity leave is also linked with a lower risk for depression, martial problems, and self-esteem issues and women who have shorter maternity leaves (less than 13 weeks in this Australian study) reported more psychological distress even 2 to 3 year after birth.

3. Paid leave has long-term benefits, well beyond the newborn period.

Research finds that, when parents have paid leave, children are more likely to graduate high school, attend college, and even earn more money as adults.

Research also finds that paid leave results in parents spending increased time with their infants—not only during the leave period but also after returning to work, up until 3 years of age. This includes mothers spending increased time reading to, talking to, and helping with homework and fathers playing with children for more hours per week.

4. Paid maternity leave does not negatively impact employers.

One of the only arguments against paid leave is that it is potentially bad for employers and the economy. Yet research finds that women with paid leave are less likely to leave the workforce. This saves businesses the high expense of finding and training new employees.

Another study found that paid leave did not impact employee’s productivity, cooperation, or attendance. Employers also reported that paid leave increased their ease of dealing with extended employee absences.

After California enacted a paid family leave policy, 90 percent of employers reported no negative impacts on their profitability, turnover, or employee morale.

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5. Paternity leave (paid leave for fathers) is associated with many benefits for children and family functioning.

Although a lot of the research on paid leave is focused on mothers, it is important to note that research also finds unique and important benefits for paternity leave (paid leave for fathers). Research finds that fathers who take paternity leave (and in particular two or more weeks of leave) are more likely to have better relationships with their children.

Specifically, fathers who take leave show better communication with their children, are closer to their children, and their children see them as a more involved parent. The positive impacts on the father-child relationship lasted for up to nine years after the father took paternity leave.

Research also finds that when married fathers take paternity leave, they are less likely to get divorced. This finding applied to short paternity leave (one week or less) and longer leave (a month). The researchers found that the positive impact on the marriage may last up to six years.

Paternity leave is also associated with increased engagement in child care during infancy and beyond, improved relationship quality between co-parents, and sharing child care and household tasks more equally both before and after leave.

Overall Translation

Research consistently finds many long-lasting benefits of paid leave for both the mental and physical health of children and parents. It also does not seem to have a negative impact on employers. Unfortunately for many people, particularly in the U.S., maternity and paternity leave is a privilege that is not available to them regardless of their knowledge of the many benefits of paid leave. It is therefore important that we do our part to advocate for paid leave for all parents.