Paternity leave for new dads
New fathers are now provided with 10 days consecutive paid leave after the birth of their child.
President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a landmark law on December 18 that provides new fathers with 10 days consecutive paid leave after the birth of their child. This came into effect on January 1 and is also applicable in circumstances where an employee legally adopts a child or when a child is placed by court in the care of a prospective adoptive parent.
Local singer Giovanni Divito (who is also a full-time employee) says it is an excellent law and gives fathers the opportunity to bond with their babies, especially those first weeks when the bonding process is so important.
He has a strong bond with his baby daughter Isabella and loves to interact with her. “She immediately recognises my voice and her eyes follow me when I move around the room,” a proud Divito boasted.
He is a very hands-on dad and enjoys to feed Isabella by bottle to give her mother Nicole a break from breastfeeding. “Giovanni is a very good dad, but when it comes to dirty nappies he tends to disappear,” Nicole said with a twinkle in her eye.
In terms of the Labour Laws Amendment Act an employee is entitled to 10 days parental leave upon the birth of the employee’s own child or legally adopted child.
Sonke Gender Justice and the Human Sciences Research Council published a report ‘State of South Africa’s Fathers’ in 2018, highlighting the importance of policy support for fathers’ involvement in young children’s lives, especially during the first two years. This involvement can establish an emotional bond between father and child for life.
“Research evidence from countries that offer paternity leave supports the intuitive idea that an emotional connection during infanthood would lead to long-term involvement in care and that fathers would then take more responsibility for their children’s development,” Sonke said in a statement.
Female employees who gave birth to a child is entitled to four months unpaid maternity leave. Female employees may however, qualify for parental leave in circumstances where such employee is one of the adoptive parents or a prospective adoptive parent.
Paternity leave will be paid out of the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF). It will not be the employer’s responsibility.
