Just one in four Dutch fathers takes parental leave

Fewer than one in four Dutchmen who became fathers in 2013 took unpaid paternity leave, according to research by the national statistics office CBS.

All fathers who have been employed for at least a year have the right to take up to 26 weeks off work, spread over an eight-year period.

New fathers also have three days paid leave immediately after the birth.

Although the number of fathers taking leave has gone up since the rules were changed, the take-up rate is still no more than 24%, the figures show.

By contrast, more than half of mothers take up their right to unpaid leave, which comes on top of the 16 week statutory break for all new mothers, the CBS said.