Thinking about paternity leave can be a difficult and challenging time for many fathers-to-be
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced that he is taking two months off after the birth of his daughter.
Mr Zuckerberg made the announcement on his timeline, calling it “a very personal decision”.
In his statement, accompanied by a picture of a pushchair and his dog he said: “Studies show that when working parents take time to be with their newborns, outcomes are better for the children and families.
“At Facebook we offer our US employees up to 4 months of paid maternity or paternity leave which they can take throughout the year.
“Every day things are getting a little more real for us, and we’re excited to start this next stage in our lives.”
According to the US Department of Labor, just 12 per cent of private sector employees are entitled to paid family leave through their jobs.
Prince William took six weeks off for the birth of his second child Princess Charlotte in May this year.
The Duke of Cambridge was on unpaid leave so he could spend time with his wife Kate and his son Prince George.
New rules on shared parenting were introduced in the UK in April.
It means that fathers can now choose to top up their right to two weeks of paternity leave with up to 50 weeks of leave shared with the mother of their child.
This leave can be split between the couple and taken any time before the child’s first birthday, or within a year of adoption.
Shared parental leave pay is £139.58 a week or 90 per cent of an employee’s average weekly earnings.
For more information on paternity leave entitlement visit: www.gov.uk
