Latest news with #paternityLeave
Washington Post
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Astros first baseman Christian Walker is on paternity leave; Kenedy Corona recalled
HOUSTON — The Houston Astros placed first baseman Christian Walker on paternity leave Monday before the start of a three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians. Walker, who is in his first season with the Astros, is batting .231 with 12 homers and 45 RBIs. He's heated up recently after a slow start and has hit .429 with two homers and eight RBIs in six games this month. The AL West-leading Astros recalled outfielder Kenedy Corona from Triple-A Sugar Land to take his spot on the roster. The 25-year-old Corona is hitting .228 with six homers and 28 RBIs in the minors this season. Also Monday, right-hander Jordan Weems cleared waivers and elected free agency. ___ AP MLB:
Associated Press
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Astros first baseman Christian Walker is on paternity leave; Kenedy Corona recalled
HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Astros placed first baseman Christian Walker on paternity leave Monday before the start of a three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians. Walker, who is in his first season with the Astros, is batting .231 with 12 homers and 45 RBIs. He's heated up recently after a slow start and has hit .429 with two homers and eight RBIs in six games this month. The AL West-leading Astros recalled outfielder Kenedy Corona from Triple-A Sugar Land to take his spot on the roster. The 25-year-old Corona is hitting .228 with six homers and 28 RBIs in the minors this season. Also Monday, right-hander Jordan Weems cleared waivers and elected free agency. ___ AP MLB:
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Paternity leave take-up in S'pore rises to 56% in 2023; experts hope for further boost after extension
SINGAPORE - Slightly more fathers are using their paternity leave to take care of their newborns. The take-up rate for government-paid paternity leave rose from 53 per cent in 2022, to 56 per cent in 2023, in the latest figures published by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF). Maternity leave usage remained high at 74 per cent, similar to past years, said the Family Trends Report 2025 published on July 7. The number of mothers who used their childcare leave dipped slightly from 61 per cent in 2022, to 58 per cent in 2023. For fathers, 53 per cent of them used their childcare leave in 2023, inching up from 52 per cent in 2022, and 49 per cent in 2021. The latest available data was for 2023 as employers have three months after a year ends to submit reimbursement claims to the Government. All data available excludes employers who do not submit claims. Paternity leave was enhanced in April, with fathers now entitled to four weeks of paternity leave, up from two. From April, parents have also been able to share up to six weeks of paid parental leave, which replaces the previous scheme that allowed fathers to share their wives' maternity leave quota. This shared leave scheme will be increased to 10 weeks in April 2026. MSF's report noted that more employers have offered flexibility to working parents. The number of full-time employees who had access to flexible work arrangements like staggered hours and working from home increased from 84.1 per cent in 2022, to 87 per cent in 2023. Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli said at the National Family Festival Appreciation Event at One Farrer Hotel on July 7 that the Government hopes more employers can support parents in balancing caregiving responsibilities and career aspirations. Dr Mathew Mathews, head of the Institute of Policy Studies' Social Lab, told The Straits Times that with more flexible work arrangement options available, the need to apply for childcare leave may be less pressing. 'Some childcare activities may not require a whole day away from work, thus requiring childcare leave – these care activities can simply require the parent to be at home, still engaged at work, but also able to watch out for a child while he/she is not able to be in childcare facility,' he said. On the take-up rate of paternity leave remaining stable at over 50 per cent, Dr Mathews said that though more are taking paternity leave over the years, there has been no clear jump in usage. This suggests that the idea of paternity leave has still not gained sufficient traction among all groups of fathers, he added. 'The extended paternity leave to four weeks, a period which seems to be more significant, might increase the signature of paternity leave, making it more than a 'token' but a reasonably long, dedicated period to help fathers adjust and be involved in their parental duties,' he said. 'Hopefully, this will result in a substantial increase in utilisation over the next few years.' Singapore Management University sociologist Paulin Straughan said: 'Ideally, we would like to see more fathers embrace co-parenting responsibilities so that mothers do not feel overburdened. The extension from two to four weeks is significant as the leave allows fathers to contribute beyond taking care of logistic details or help out.' Four weeks would allow them to take over while their wives recover from childbirth and get into a good rhythm of caring for a newborn, and it allows sufficient time for fathers to bond with their newborns, Professor Straughan added. The Family Trends Report also looked at statistics and trends related to early childhood education and the growth of early intervention services. The number of full-day infant care places has nearly tripled over the past decade, from 5,628 in 2015 to 16,207 in 2024, and full-day childcare places have almost doubled, from 104,066 in 2014 to 200,847 in 2024. The cohort enrolment rate of children aged three to four years was 90 per cent in 2024, the same as in 2023. And 93 per cent of children aged five to six were enrolled in pre-school, slightly down from 95 per cent in 2023. Support for young children with developmental needs has also increased, said MSF. There were 10,186 children who were served by early intervention programmes in 2024, up from 8,950 in 2023. Early intervention programmes support children with developmental delays or disabilities by addressing potential issues early on, preventing them from worsening and supporting their needs. In 2024, about 1,500 places were added to early intervention centres, increasing capacity by 26 per cent from 2023. Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction Discover how to enjoy other premium articles here
Times
07-07-2025
- Business
- Times
Paternity leave: two weeks not enough to support families
I'm blessed to have just become a father again. If you have kids, you'll know it's a time filled with joy, as well as sleepless nights. But it's also brought home to me the significant problems we have in the UK with paternity leave and, in turn, the growing issue they pose for government has announced a full review of parental leave to better support families and their children. This is welcome, if overdue, news. Overdue because the creaking system is damaging companies just as much as it disadvantages mums and is a challenger business and I know how disruptive it can feel to 'lose' a team member to parental leave, especially when you're a lean organisation. But we all need to realise that the status quo is more the birth of our second child, for example, my wife wasn't allowed to do tasks like driving, or carrying our first child, for months. So, like many dads, I may be back to work but one foot is still firmly planted at home. Two weeks paternity leave is simply not enough to support your partner and baby. When parents are forced to return to work before they're ready, they're under unfair pressure. No wonder that some step back from their roles or opt out of work altogether. And then there's the gender imbalance. Men are expected to return to work quickly and women, or primary caregivers, are left holding the baby. I have had too many brilliant female friends feeling that their career is simply no longer an option once they have kids. For brands, that means less diversity of voices and experiences in the workplace. It's a only it were as simple as individual companies changing their policies. Big corporates with deep pockets might offer enhanced leave, but the reality is that many smaller businesses can't afford to do the same. Yes, Dash offers dads a better paternity leave than the minimum, but the minimum is too low a bar. It's clear to me, now a dad of two, that businesses need better statutory of the recent 'Dad strikes', where fathers took to the streets in the UK to highlight paternity leave issues, call for at least six weeks of leave at full or near full pay. That would give families a window to adjust and would give businesses a better chance of retaining talent, maintaining diversity and properly supporting families.A report by the Centre for Progressive Policy estimates that reforming leave in this way could unlock nearly £2.7 billion for the UK economy. So businesses, which can claim back the majority of statutory pay over two weeks, should have the same rights if it's extended to six. That may be a cost, but it also represents a saving. The government's review will have a huge amount to deal with. The women and equalities committee of MPs published an assessment a few weeks ago showing that the UK's rate of statutory parental pay is 'completely out of kilter' with the cost of living. The legal minimum maternity pay itself falls off a cliff after just six weeks, leaving parents struggling. The huge cost of childcare, too, means it's often more expensive for a parent to return to work than to stay at home. Shared parental leave is so difficult to navigate that it puts many eligible parents off. At Dash we hired a team of lawyers to draft our shared parental leave policy. A few weeks later we had to bring them back in to tell us what it actually small, incremental steps still represent progress. And a change in legislation could drive a much-needed change in culture: for dads who still feel that taking extended leave might damage their career prospects or burden their colleagues; or those who simply don't feel it's the done thing. We need to break down these parental leave is a structural inequality with consequences for businesses on top of the immediate pain for families. The Trades Union Congress reports that over half of new parents in the UK face financial hardship during paternity leave and one in five fathers don't take it at all. We need urgent progress to help mums and dads. I'm in no doubt that this same change, if properly managed, would be a boon for parents' places of work as well.I don't think you'll find many people who'd disagree with this: when employees feel supported in their family life, they're more likely to stay loyal, perform better and build longer careers with you. As a nation we should look to level the playing field for families and businesses when it comes to parental leave. Now the government has a chance to start making this a Wright is co-founder and chief executive of Dash Water, a £35 million-turnover healthy soft drink brand sold across 25 countries
Daily Mail
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Kate Upton and MLB star husband Justin Verlander receive life-changing family news
MLB star Justin Verlander has welcomed his second baby with his wife, actress Kate Upton, according to a report. Upton, who starred in 'The Other Woman,' gave birth to their son, Bellamy Brooks Verlander, on June 19, a representative for the actress told TMZ. Just one day later, Verlander was placed on paternity leave by the San Francisco Giants Friday to spend quality time with his wife and their new bundle of joy.
