Parental Leave and Discrimination in the Labour Market

Weichselbaumer and her colleagues use a large-scale correspondence study to examine whether leave-taking fathers face hiring discrimination in three occupations that differ in their gender composition. Results show no penalty for fathers who took parental leave in female-dominated or gender-neutral occupations. In contrast, fathers who took long leave are significantly less likely to be invited to job interviews in a male-dominated occupation. Regardless of leave-taking, fathers are treated less favourably than mothers in female-dominated and gender-neutral occupations, but more favourably in a male-dominated occupation. These findings suggest the presence of strong gender norms concerning the perception of ideal employees in different occupations.