A father in the US has filed a lawsuit against his employer, calling for parental leave to be equal among male and female employees.
Derek Rotondo has brought the case against J. P. Morgan Chase, where he works as a fraud investigator.
Derek, a father-of-two, welcomed his second child with his wife earlier this month. He was given a mere two weeks of paid parental leave, as he was not considered a ‘primary caregiver’.
In order to argue for better terms, he would have to formally prove that he is the child’s primary caregiver – this would involve showing that his spouse had returned to work (she is a teacher, and so is on holidays right now) or is medically incapable of caring for their child.
Mothers, on the other hand, have the option of taking 16 weeks of paid leave after welcoming a newborn or newly adopted child.
Derek was, understandably, disgusted by the disparity between the two offers and reckons he is being discriminated against due to his sex.
He went on to file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In his suit, Derek argues that parents – regardless of their gender – need to be put on an equal footing when it comes to parental leave and status.
“Just because I’m a father, not a mother, it shouldn’t prevent me from being the primary caregiver for my baby,” he said.
“I hope that J.P. Morgan will change this policy and show its support for all parents who work for the company.”
The United States is widely considered as one of the worst countries for its laws on paid parental leave.
According to the latest statistics, new mothers are entitled to less than three weeks of paid leave.
While some companies do offer more paid leave to their employees, the lax legislation means that most fathers are suffering inequality due to their gender.
Addressing the fact that male employees have to prove themselves as primary caretakers, Peter Romer-Friedman – part of the legal team representing Derek – explained his client’s argument.
“What could be the reason, other than a stereotype, to tell a father that he is not presumptively considered a primary caretaker, but women are?” he asked.
“It is sending a message that women should stay at home and take care of the children, and men should immediately go back to work.”
We will keep you updated on the progress of Derek’s case.
What are your thoughts, mums?
