Parental leave is designed to promote gender equality, giving both mothers and fathers the opportunity to balance work and family responsibilities. Yet, many fathers hesitate to take leave, fearing it could harm their careers. They worry that employers may see them as less committed or less suitable for promotions, pushing them to either take very short leave or none at all. But are these fears justified?
A new study by Julia Schmieder, Clara Welteke, Doris Weichselbaumer, and Katharina Wrohlich takes a closer look at whether fathers who take parental leave face discrimination in the hiring process. Using a large-scale field experiment, the researchers submitted thousands of fictitious job applications for positions in three different occupational fields: one female-dominated, one male-dominated, and one gender-neutral. The only difference between these applications was whether the applicant had taken parental leave (and if he had, a long leave of twelve or a short leave of two months) or not. By tracking employer responses, the study was able to measure whether parental leave affected the likelihood of being invited for a job interview—and whether gender played an even bigger role than parental leave itself.
The findings suggest that the impact of parental leave on fathers' job opportunities depends largely on the occupation. In female-dominated and gender-neutral jobs, fathers who had taken parental leave were just as likely to be invited to an interview as those who had not. In these occupations, taking leave did not appear to be perceived negatively by employers, suggesting that attitudes toward fathers taking time off for caregiving are more accepting.
In male-dominated occupations, however, the picture was different. Fathers who had taken short parental leave of two months were just as likely to receive interview invitations as those who had taken no leave at all. But fathers who had taken long parental leave—twelve months—were significantly less likely to be invited to an interview. In these occupations, fathers who deviated from the traditional male breadwinner role and took on caregiving responsibilities—typically associated with women—faced sanctions for violating gender norms, whereas mothers were not penalized for taking parental leave.
While discrimination against fathers based on parental leave was observed in certain fields, the study also uncovered a much broader pattern of gender-based discrimination in hiring decisions. In female-dominated and gender-neutral occupations, fathers were less likely than mothers to be invited to interviews, regardless of whether they had taken parental leave. In male-dominated fields, the opposite was true—mothers faced significantly lower invitation rates than fathers, no matter their parental leave history. These patterns suggest that employers have deeply ingrained ideas about what an "ideal worker" looks like in different jobs.
Germany has introduced policies aimed at encouraging more fathers to take parental leave. In 2007, the country implemented a reform reserving two months of parental leave specifically for fathers, a move that has significantly increased fathers’ leave-taking. However, fewer than half of all fathers take any parental leave at all, and those who do typically take only a short leave period. One of the key reasons for this reluctance is the fear of career setbacks—a concern that, as this study shows, may be justified in some occupations but not in others.
The study highlights a much larger challenge: deeply ingrained gender norms continue to shape workplace expectations, regardless of parental leave. Fathers in male-dominated occupations are penalized for taking time out to care for their children, while mothers in the same fields face barriers simply for being women. These biases go beyond individual choices; they reflect a labor market that still rewards traditional gender roles. Encouraging more fathers to take parental leave may be one way to break this cycle. If caregiving becomes a shared responsibility, both men and women may face less discrimination in hiring, and workplaces may begin to judge candidates based on their skills, experience, and potential—rather than outdated stereotypes.
On the Authors
Julia Schmieder
Former research affiliate at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin), the Berlin School of Economics, and the Institute for Labor Economics (IZA). Her work focuses on labor economics, particularly issues related to gender, the family, migration, and long-term care..
Doris Weichselbaumer
Professor and Head of the Women's and Gender Studies Department at the University of Linz (JKU), Austria. Her research interests include labor economics, discrimination, and gender studies. She has held visiting professorships at institutions such as Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona and the Berlin School of Economics and Law.
Clara Welteke
Former research affiliate at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin)whose work focuses on Labor Economics, Gender Economics, Social Policy, Digitalization and the Future of Work. She has co-authored studies on topics such as parental leave and labor market discrimination.
Katharina Wrohlich
Head of the Gender Economics Research Group at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin) and a Professor of Public Finance, Gender, and Family Economics at the University of Potsdam. Her research focuses on the evaluation of labor market, family, and tax policies on women's employment and wages, as well as gender gaps in the labor market.
