Young men who want to play a bigger role in child care than their dads did are now getting a chance to do so. In a small but significant step, some Indian companies are encouraging male employees to take a short, paid paternity break to share the responsibility of parenting with their spouses. This fully paid paternity leave, typically ranges between three and ten days.Anshuman Ray, senior director, international HR, Synopsys, says the move is in tune with the changing times. “It takes cognizance of the shared responsibility that spouses have towards the family.”India’s laws mandate three months of fully paid maternity break but do not provide for any paternity leave. However, central government employees and more recently, those of public sector banks, have been allowed paternity leave of 15 days. But when it comes to the private sector, it is up to individual companies to decide. This is also the case in the US, where some companies like Netflix, Facebook and Microsoft offer generous, fully-paid paternity leave of a few months.India isn’t the only country which doesn’t mandate paternity leave. While 167 of the 173 countries covered in a World Bank report titled Women, Business and the Law (2016), legislated maternity leave, only 80-odd countries provided for paternity leave. Nordic countries, like Iceland, Finland and Sweden, are the best for new dads. Sweden has a gender-neutral parental policy of 480 days, with 60 days (now proposed to be extended to 90) of non-transferable paternity leave. The salary during this period, in Nordic countries, is typically partly paid and generally funded by the government. Among India’s neighbours, Afghanistan, China, Hong Kong and Singapore grant a few days of paternity leave.Paternity leave doesn’t just help dads bond with the baby, it’s also good for the child. A research paper of The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) — a think-tank of developed countries — says children with ‘more involved’ fathers fare better during their early years. Well-designed paternity leaves with flexible work policies facilitate such participation.Dr Minnu Bhonsle, psychotherapist and relationship counselor, believes fathers should play a significant role in child-rearing. “Early bonding will ensure a softer, sensitive father-child relationship going forward. It also offers support to the new mother who could be feeling overwhelmed and possibly experiencing post-partum blues,” she says.Also, with the joint family system on the decline, fathers need to pitch in to help with newborns. “Paternity leave allows the father to support his spouse at a critical time,” says Madhavi Lall, MD & head (HR), at Deutsche Bank, India which offers five-day paternity leave.Fasihuddin Shaikh, chief manager at Kotak Mahindra Bank, acknowledges the importance of the three-day leave he got. “I was there for my wife when she needed me the most,” he says.The father’s presence also helps deal with sibling anxiety. Says Pankaj Singh Adhikari, a manager at Sapient who took the five-day paternity leave offered by his company: “I guided my older daughter on how to behave with the new baby.”Godrej has recently extended its paternity leave from seven to 10 working days, which can be availed of in not more than two installments, up to two months after the baby’s birth.At start-up, Vedantu, where a majority of its 90-odd male professionals are in the age group of 20-30, co-founder Anand Prakash says the company encourages new fathers to take at least 15 days of paid paternity leave, with an option to extend if required. “This leave flexibility allowed me to take up extra responsibility in child rearing,” says 35-year-old, Amit Kumar, VP, digital marketing at Vedantu.Paternity leave is also viewed as a powerful tool for boosting gender diversity at the workplace, especially when coupled with flexi hours, or work-from-home options for the new father. “Paternity leave is our signal to our male employees: go and do your duty as a father as well as enjoy fatherhood,” says Chandrasekhar Sripada, president & global head (HR), at Dr Reddy’s. This company offers five days of staggered leave within three months of the baby’s birth. In addition, new fathers can take up to two hours off every day for up to six months.At Infosys, new fathers are eligible for a paid five-day paternity leave as well as work-from-home options.