At Rapid Asia, we believe in the power of ‘Walk the Talk.’ We grow as a workplace by ensuring all staff are respected, valued, empowered, and supported in balancing their professional and personal lives. When one of our staff welcomes a new member of their family, we are proud to reinforce our commitment to paid paternity leave that we signed in 2022 with 12 other companies.
Rapid Asia was one of the signatories of the Paternity Leave Pledge in 2022 along with other 12 companies. This means staff are entitled to one month of paid paternity leave when their spouse delivers a baby. “It has been a milestone to implement our commitment to inclusivity and family-friendly policies, underscoring our dedication to creating a workplace that recognises the importance of shared caregiving responsibilities”, Daniel Lindgren, Founder and CEO of Rapid Asia said.
In 2021, 115 out of 185 countries surveyed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) offered paternity leave, with thirty-three new countries adopting such policies in the preceding decade. It highlights the growing recognition of men’s caregiving roles. Previously, the ILO mandated a minimum maternity leave period of 14 weeks for mothers and also recommended increasing maternity leave to at least 18 weeks to ensure adequate rest and recovery time for mothers. Until today, however, there has not been an established standard for the minimum duration of paternity leave.
By implementing one month of paid paternity leave, Rapid Asia would like to ensure that fathers or partners can fully participate in the critical early stage of their child’s life. Paternity leave aligns with the growing global recognition of the benefits of paternity leave for families, businesses, and society. Studies also prove that paternity leave promotes newborn well-being through breastfeeding, parent-child bonding, maternal recovery, and shared parental responsibility. These benefits in turn extend to child development, parental well-being, company productivity, and women’s labour market access.
The global community is learning collectively on this family matter. Among OECD countries, twenty-five out of thirty-four have a maximum wage replacement rate of at least 80% for paid maternal leave, and 24 countries offer this rate for paid paternal leave. Additionally, nineteen countries have maintained a maximum wage replacement rate of at least 80% for paid maternal leave since 1995 or earlier. A high wage replacement rate for paid parental leave is compatible with high labour force participation rates and low unemployment. Almost all OECD countries guarantee job protection for the full duration of leave for mothers, and a majority also do so for fathers.
Some countries have set examples. Sweden offers a generous 90 days of paid paternity leave, encouraging equal parenting. Japan, progressively, allows fathers to take up to a year of paid leave. Mongolia offers universal maternity protection with flexible mechanisms for formal, informal, and rural workers, including mobile services for remote areas. In Thailand, some organisations offer maternity and paternity leave but has yet to become a universal policy.
When companies offer paternity leave, their actions speak louder than words. A paternity leave policy is not just a reward—but a promise to employees and their families that their well-being is a priority. Companies that walk the talk are not just adapting to the future of work; they are shaping it.
Join us in celebrating a milestone in our journey toward a more equitable and supportive workplace. If you found this article useful, please remember to ‘Like’ and share on social media, and hit the ‘Follow’ button never to miss an article.
About the authors: Daniel Lindgren is the Founder of Rapid Asia Co., Ltd., a management consultancy firm based in Bangkok that specialises in evaluations for programs, projects, social marketing campaigns and other social development initiatives. Israr Ardiansyah is a writer working with Rapid Asia.
Photo by senivpetro on Freep!k
Photo by Seif Eddin Khayat on Unsplash