How to make our workplaces become more father-friendly

I am happy that many organizations sent messages to Fathers on Father’s Day. That is a very positive development that shows that Organizations care about Fathers. However, Organizations and workplace leaders should look inward and ask if we are making Fathers happy at work. Are our workplaces father-friendly?

A father-friendly workplace is an Organization that is sensitive to the needs of fathers and has provided reasoned responses that enable fathers to be effective and productive as workers and as fathers.

When an employer refuses to develop and implement a paternity leave policy or provide any support for fathers, will those fathers working in that organization be happy?

Paternity leave is a period (days, weeks, or months) when a new father can stay home from work. In some countries, parental leave is available as an alternative to maternity and paternity leave. Parental leave is different from paternity leave as it can usually be taken by either parent, regardless of gender. UNICEF claims that “Evidence suggests that when fathers bond with their babies from the beginning of life, they are more likely to play a more active role in their child’s development. Research also suggests that when children positively interact with their fathers, they have better psychological health, self-esteem, and life satisfaction in the long-term.”

I commend Governors Fashola of Lagos State and Adams Oshiomole of Edo states, who introduced paternity leave for their civil servants. In 2025, the government of Enugu State, led by Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, amended its Civil Service rules by granting three weeks of paternity leave to husbands who are civil servants whose wives put to bed. Also, the Federal Government approved a two-week paternity leave for workers. This leave applies to a male worker whose wife gives birth to a new baby or a male worker whose family adopts a child under four months. I would also like to call on more states to pass this law.

In Norway, Sweden, and Iceland, Parental leave may include a “father’s quota”. This means that part of the parental leave is reserved for fathers. Except the father takes this leave, the family loses the leave period reserved for the father.

In Canada, 42% of fathers drew on their annual vacation leave to take time off work to be with their newborns. So, instead of paternity or parental leave, fathers often take a vacation or other paid or unpaid personal leave following the birth or adoption of a child. Is that okay?( in comparison, from 2012 to 2017, 88% of mothers took maternity leave, parental leave, or a combination of the two).

Let us make the fathers who work for us happy by introducing policies and programs to make them better Dads. I like to share some ideas.

Employers and Human Resources Managers can start by recognizing that the workplace can support the fathers who work for them to become more effective parents. Developing strategies, programs, and policies will be easier when we agree to support fathers.
We should create a work culture that celebrates men who are committed fathers. Many organizations feel that men must sacrifice their family responsibilities to climb high in the organization. There are work cultures where men fear being discriminated against professionally or missing out on pay raises and promotions, being marginalized, or even mocked for showing they love their family. The BBC reported that Research conducted across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in 2017 showed that fathers without leadership responsibility were much more likely to take leave as planned than their peers who were managers. More responsibility, the researchers reasoned, equated to more significant perceived pressure to be present at work. Workplace leaders who are fathers should also model the right behavior for other fathers.

Workplace leaders should be sensitive to fathers’ needs, particularly those with peculiar needs. First-time fathers, single fathers, and fathers of children with special needs require a lot of support to be successful. Leaders at work should be sensitive to their needs. Let’s permit fathers to attend PTA meetings or school visits or watch their children perform.

Roughly one in six couples in Canada experience infertility, so many married males in the workplace might be dealing with infertility. Some employers offer support to those employees. A survey by Mapol Inc. conducted in December 2020, found that just five per cent of employers in Canada offer coverage for both fertility drugs and procedures. In a competitive labour market and as a way to attract and retain the best employees, It makes a lot of business sense for employer benefits plans to cover some support for such people. Employers can Educate and raise awareness about fertility issues, develop policies to deal with the issue and offer emotional support including access to counseling or Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) or support networks.

I also call on the National Assembly to pass a law on paternity leave. About 80 countries now have paternity leave, but Nigeria is not one of them. Nigeria should pass a paternity or parental leave that includes a father’s quota. We can learn from Norway. Norway introduced a fathers quota, and 90% of fathers took at least 12 weeks of paternity leave, compared to just 3% before the policy’s implementation.

I appeal to entrepreneurs, human resources managers, and other workplace leaders to help fathers be better at their roles. That may be a significant way to wish them a ‘Happy Father’s Day.’

Fawehinmi teaches human resources management, leadership and diversity. He is a member of the Council of the CIPM in Nigeria.