A 45-day leave can affect the pace of work
Amother is physically affected, so obviously, she needs more rest. Also, from a biological perspective, the mother needs to bond with the child a lot more and the child needs the mother for a long time.
So, it is the mother who needs to be given priority because of the physical stress.
As far as fathers are concerned, they need to be with the mother to help them recover and also, it is a time for them to bond with their child. However, equal leave doesn’t make sense to me.
It is also too much of a burden on a company, if you look at a 45-day paternity leave. Not only does the company have to pay for that leave but also supplement that position. A person’s absence from work for 45 days, for whatever reason, can definitely have a negative affect on a company.
They have to find resources to cover the gap and the pace of work would also be affected.
While other countries do offer longer leave, they are supported by governmental regulations and also have different economic and cultural conditions.
Rather than a continuous leave, a flexible leave policy during the entire term of pregnancy might work better. You can have a quota for 15-20 days, which can be spread over different points in the pregnancy, when you need to accompany your wife for check-ups or emergencies. Then, fathers can take a shorter leave once the child is born. From Ms Ursula Manvatkar Managing director of a Dubai-based firm