Only 171 are with the baby

Fewer and fewer fathers want to take parental leave

The number of young fathers taking time off work for the good of the family is declining.(Bild: Markus Wenzel)

Many men fear that they will no longer be integrated into everyday working life after their time with the baby. The figures are at the same level as in 2006.

In 2017, 293 Burgenland residents took paternity leave, now there are 171, which is 2.6 percent fewer. According to the Chamber of Labor, the reason for the declining trend is that companies hardly allow men to reconcile babies and work. "But people are not just workers, they also have families. And fathers want to be able to accompany their children as they grow up," says Chamber of Labor President Gerhard Michalitsch. "Companies are only family-friendly if they are father- and mother-friendly."

How does the employer react?
The AK's consulting experience shows that the opinion still prevails at management level that the child belongs to the woman and the father to the company. "Many fathers contact us because they are worried about how their employer will react, even if they take paternity leave or a short period of paternity leave. As the statistics show, very few then decide to take risks," says Michalitsch.

Problems with colleagues
Two practical examples: a father from Burgenland was dismissed after returning from parental leave on the grounds that "there is not enough work", even though colleagues who started working at the company after him are still there. And a father from northern Burgenland had problems with colleagues who had to take over his work after he decided to go on maternity leave for four months because there was no maternity leave cover.

In the long term, a higher level of paternal involvement and "a fairer distribution for everyone" will pay off, says regional vice president Astrid Eisenkopf. "It is safer for the whole family if they can rely on two full incomes. The economy also benefits if more women can use their labor for gainful employment."