The Positive Spillover and Crossover of Paternity Leave Use: A Dyadic Longitudinal Analysis

• In Event: 1168 - Family Policy

Abstract

Paternity leave policies are gaining increased recognition by researchers and policymakers as a policy tool that can have a positive impact on individuals, families, and societies. In this study, we estimate the effect of paternity leave use in by Korean fathers on their life satisfaction and their spouses’ marital relationship satisfaction. Utilizing a spillover-crossover theoretical framework we predict that fathers who use paternity leave at t1 would experience a positive spillover, manifested in increased life satisfaction and that this, in turn, will crossover to positively affect mothers’ family relationship satisfaction at t2. Using a nationally representative longitudinal panel data from the Korean Labor and Income Panel Study (KLIPS) which follows individuals and families annually, we find that fathers’ use of paternity leave is positively associated with their life satisfaction. Further, fathers’ life satisfaction mediates the relationship between paternity leave use and mothers’ marital relationship satisfaction. We do not find any support for a direct link between paternity leave use and mothers’ family relationship satisfaction. We conclude that paternity leave use has a positive association with positive outcomes for fathers, mothers, and families as a whole.

Authors

• Karen Z. Kramer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Hanjin Bae, Seoul National University

• Cheong-ah Huh, Seoul National University

• Sunjin Pak, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign