新西兰国家党提议将带薪陪假从现行的26周延长至30周，并允许父母在同一时间内同时享受带薪陪假[1]。这项政策改革中，允许父母重叠使用陪假的条款被认为具有更为深远的意义，有助于改变性别分工模式并鼓励父亲更主动地参与子女养育[1]。
根据现行制度，自2020年以来，新西兰初级照顾者有权获得26周带薪陪假，但同一时间内仅允许一位父母领取带薪陪假[1]。研究表明，当陪假提供薪酬时，父亲更有可能选择使用该福利[1]。不过，推广父亲使用陪假仍存在实际障碍。员工使用家庭友好政策可能被视为工作承诺不足，这种现象被称为"灵活性污名"[1]。
为应对这一挑战，一些国家已探索行之有效的政策模式。瑞典推行了"不转让"陪假制度，保留每位父母的陪假额度，采用"用就不失"的机制，从而鼓励双亲都行使该权利[1]。许多经合组织国家目前也为父亲或非初级照顾者提供某种形式的专属带薪陪假[1]。
New Zealand's National Party has proposed extending paid parental leave from 26 weeks to 30 weeks, with a more significant innovation allowing parents to use their leave simultaneously [1]. Under the current policy in place since 2020, primary caregivers are entitled to 26 weeks of paid leave, but only one parent can access paid leave at any given time [1].
While the extension itself represents progress, the overlapping provision carries potential for deeper change in encouraging paternal involvement and challenging traditional gender roles in childcare [1]. Research indicates that fathers are considerably more likely to use parental leave when it is paid [1]. However, a critical barrier remains: employees who use family-friendly policies risk being perceived as uncommitted to their work—a phenomenon known as "flexibility stigma" [1]. Addressing this perception through workplace culture change will be essential to translating policy into actual behavior.
Several countries have already demonstrated alternative approaches. Sweden offers a non-transferable leave system where each parent retains their own allocation, operating on a "use it or lose it" basis [1]. Many OECD nations now provide some form of dedicated paid leave specifically for fathers or non-primary caregivers [1]. These international examples suggest that policymakers must consider not only the framework of leave availability but also the structural incentives and cultural shifts necessary to ensure fathers genuinely exercise these rights.
