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Paternity Leave Could Reach 60 Days With Gradual Expansion Over Ten Years. Proposal Suggests Stepped Increase of Benefit to Reduce Financial Impact and Ensure Viability
The debate on paternity leave has returned to the forefront with a proposal aiming to expand the benefit to 60 days, but in a gradual manner over a decade. The measure seeks to balance the parents’ right to be more present in the first months of their children’s lives with the need to manage the financial impact on Social Security.
According to information released by Folha de S. Paulo, the proposal is to start with 15 days of paid leave, adding an additional 15 days every three years. Thus, the benefit would rise to 30 days in the fourth year, 45 days in the seventh, and finally reach 60 days only in the tenth year of the law’s validity. This stepped model would allow for cost reduction, estimated at R$ 77.8 billion over ten years, compared to more than R$ 118 billion projected in faster proposals.
How The Stepped Expansion Would Work
Currently, the paternity leave provided in the Constitution is five days, which can be extended to 20 days for companies participating in the Citizen Company Program. The new proposal would maintain payment through Social Security, just as with maternity leave, and would eliminate the risk of companies avoiding hiring men or women of childbearing age to reduce costs.
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The scaling would allow for dilution of the fiscal impact, as each additional 15 days represents about R$ 3 billion more per year for Social Security. Proponents of the measure highlight that, even if gradual, the change would represent an important advancement to promote family bonds and reduce gender inequalities.
Arguments In Favor And Challenges Of The Project
Experts and organizations linked to responsible fatherhood argue that the father has a role as essential as the mother in the initial care of the child. Currently, Brazil records about 5 million children without the father’s name on the registry and over 11 million single mothers, which reinforces the importance of public policies that encourage paternal involvement.
However, there are challenges. In addition to the cost for Social Security, there is a need to reconcile different proposals being debated in Congress. A project presented in 2023 proposed an expansion to 60 days in just five years, but with a financial impact deemed high by technicians. Previous proposals, such as the one approved in the Senate in 2008, became stalled due to resistance from the productive sector, which would bear the costs at the time.
What Is At Stake For Families And For Society
The expansion of paternity leave is seen by advocates as a social investment. They argue that more time with newborn children improves child development, strengthens emotional bonds, and contributes to the physical and mental health of the mother. Critics, on the other hand, warn of the need to ensure that the measure is financially sustainable and does not create distortions in the labor market.
The debate continues to progress in Congress, with the expectation that a final text will be voted on in the coming months. Meanwhile, pressure from organizations and judicial decisions keeps the issue on the agenda, reinforcing that paternity leave is a social right that needs to evolve to meet the current demands of Brazilian society.
Do you agree with the expansion of paternity leave to 60 days, even if gradually? Do you think this model meets families’ needs or should it be faster? Leave your opinion in the comments.
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