Reading these it’s just so, I don’t know, surprising to me I guess, that people are so excited about 6 paid weeks off…I mean obvioulsy you will take what you can get, but I guess I am just so used to having an entire year with the baby! It’s sad to think of such young babies in daycare!!

Certain companies do offer paid paternity leave. Mine does!! Two weeks during any of the first three months of the newborn’s life, or two weeks after adoption placement. Why shouldn’t men get a break?

ROFL — John needs to read Steve Almond’s essay on his newborn daughter Josephine in “Not That You Asked.” He documented all the ways he feared he’d killed her in the first few days of her life.

There’s definitely no paid paternity leave in the U.S., or at least nothing required by law. Maternity leave doesn’t have to be paid either, it’s up to the employer. The U.S. is definitely behind the other industrial nations in that respect. I think it’s great that he’s taking time off, it would be a great opportunity to share responsibility for the child, instead of having the mother do all the work.

With varying details per employee situations of course I should have added.

Congrats to John Cho and his wife! Wow John is 35 year old??? Being part asian myself you would think I wouldn’t be stunned..lol but I still am. He looks fantastic for being 35 years old. What a great husband and father to be.

Paternity, maternity. In the HR department I work in, the people who log that time off don’t nitpick over the names, they just call it FMLA .

Yes, my boyfriend had interviewed with Microsoft and they had all sorts of parental benefits, including paternity leave and a program to help parents adopt. Awesome

“Is there no paid paternity leave in the US?”

It is not at all uncommon for parents to only get paid for maternity/paternity leave if they use their vacation/sick time, so the amount of their leave depends on how much time they have saved up. Just before I got pregnant the company I work for acutally decided to pay for maternity leave (6 weeks for vaginal delivery and 8 weeks for C-sections)so I got to have my leave paid for and didn’t have to use any sick time or vacation time…sadly, last year they removed that benefit, so now we are back to having to use our PTO.

When my daughter was born my husband had 6 weeks of PAID leave!!! It was lovely and my daughter and her daddy got to bond and we were able to bond as a family. Additionally, I was able to rest a bit more than if my husband had to go right back to work. I wish all daddies were afforded at least a little paid time off with their newborns.