Swedish Daddies - Assignment Example

Swedish Daddies Affiliation: Introduction and situational analysis The issue of women and taking paid maternity leave has not been a popular issue in some countries but generally accepted. What brings however the dilemma is the issue of fathers taking paid paternity leave to be with their children as opposed to them just staying at work? Companies question the need for fathers to have paid leave whereas the mother is the caregiver. This is opposed on the basis of continuing masculinity in the society a thing that is trying to be outdone.

By giving the father paid paternity leave, the companies show support of family values as well as do away with the issue of masculinity portraying itself as an equality employer. This is also to ensure that pressures to comply with the rest of the world by allowing paid paternity leave will reduce chances of employee turnover for those with families (Kamerman, Kamerman and Moss, 2011). Stakeholder analysisThe key stakeholders in the dilemma mentioned above include the fathers and the company policy makers and management.

The fathers have to choose between working for an organization even without paid paternity leave hence risking their jobs as opposed to risking divorce and leaving their wives to handle everything concerning the baby on their own. This is a tough decision and for those companies without a paternity policy, the fathers just stay in their jobs and work. As for the policy makers and management of the companies that lack paid paternity leave, they risk family-oriented fathers leaving the company and looking for companies that have such policies.

They therefore have to think of integrating such a policy. Since money issues will arise, they have to seek assistance from government as well as borrow a few leaves from other organizations with similar policies or simply reduce the paternity leave. Ethical theories analysisTaking paternity leave paid or not depends on the character of an individual. Virtue ethics come to play here because there are those companies with the paid paternity leave but fathers do not take them. Culture is also different in different countries.

Countries that are more masculine-oriented do not see the point in paternity leave as the role of child rearing is the work of women (Brandth, et al. 2011). For companies considering whether to establish such a leave policy, they should first think about the culture then think about the virtue ethics which may mean establishing the policy but not making it a mandate for the fathers to take the leave. To however know the virtue of the male employees, research should be carried out and no assumptions made.

Conclusion and recommendationThe Swedish companies are doing the right thing by providing paid paternity leave to the fathers that want it in conjunction with the mother in order to bond with the born child. The US companies should embrace this as well as this not only encourages bonding but removes from society the notion of masculinity still ruling the society (Lamb, 2010). The companies should establish the paternity leave after researching its pros and cons in other companies that have established them as well as within the employees of the organization and use the results to guide them.

ReferencesBrandth, B. et al. (2011). Parental Leave, Childcare and Gender Equality in the Nordic Countries. Massachusetts: Nordic Council of Ministers. Kamerman, S., Kamerman, S. and Moss, P. (2011). The Politics of Parental Leave Policies: Children, Parenting, Gender and the Labor Market. New York: Policy Press. Lamb, M. (2010). The Role of the Father in Child Development. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.