Reserving Time for Daddy: The Consequences of Fathers’ Quotas

Daddy quotas” that reserve some parental leave for fathers are increasingly common in developed nations, but it is unclear whether fathers respond to the binding constraints or the labeling effects they produce. Furthermore, little is known about their long-term effects on household behavior. I exam...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of labor economics 2019-10, Vol.37 (4), p.1009-1059
Main Author: Patnaik, Ankita
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Compensation
Developed countries
Family leave
Fathers
Insurance
Labor economics
Long term
Maternity & paternity leaves
Parents & parenting
Quotas
Specialization
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Summary:Daddy quotas” that reserve some parental leave for fathers are increasingly common in developed nations, but it is unclear whether fathers respond to the binding constraints or the labeling effects they produce. Furthermore, little is known about their long-term effects on household behavior. I examine the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan, which improved compensation and reserved 5 weeks of leave for fathers. I find that fathers’ participation increased by 250%, driven by higher benefits and the framing effect of labeling some weeks as “daddy only.” I also present causal evidence that paternity leave reduces sex specialization long after the leave period.
ISSN:0734-306X
1537-5307
DOI:10.1086/703115