Paternity leave is a period of time that a father or partner is allowed to take off work after the birth, adoption, or surrogacy of a child to care for and bond with the new child and support the mother or birth parent. It can be paid or unpaid depending on the country, employer, and applicable laws

. Key points about paternity leave include:

• It is typically a short duration, often 1 to 2 weeks, but can be longer depending on the country or employer policies

• It allows the father or partner to be present during the early weeks of the child's life, supporting the mother and bonding with the baby

• Eligibility usually requires being an employee (not just a worker), having responsibility for the child, and meeting certain employment duration criteria

• Employment rights such as pay raises, holiday accrual, and job protection are maintained during paternity leave in many jurisdictions

• In some countries like the Netherlands, paternity leave can be longer (e.g., up to 5 weeks at 70% pay), and can be combined with other leave types like paid holiday leave

• Paternity leave benefits include better health outcomes for mothers and children, enabling mothers to stay in the workforce, and fostering stronger father-child bonds

In summary, paternity leave is a legal or employer-provided benefit that gives new fathers or partners paid or unpaid time off work to care for their newborn or newly adopted child and support their partner during the early stages of parenthood