For decades, conversations around career breaks to raise children have largely centred on women.
Even the language—maternity leave—reflected a default assumption about who would stay home and who would return to work.
But that narrative is shifting.
The growing use of inclusive terms like parental leave signals more than just a change in vocabulary; it’s a shift in mindset that recognises parenting as a shared responsibility.
Historically, fathers have been left behind by rigid or minimal paternity leave policies, often receiving just a few weeks, if that. This not only limits their time with their newborns but reinforces the outdated notion that caregiving is primarily a mother’s role, an idea that continues to hold women back professionally.
Today, more men are challenging that legacy. They’re not only taking longer, more meaningful parental leave; they’re also advocating for policy change and workplace cultures that support involved fatherhood.
Below, fathers from across WORK180 Endorsed Employers share their experiences.
Presence over pressure: Redefining work-life balance
For many dads, parental leave wasn’t just time away from work; it was a transformative moment that reshaped their values, routines, and how they show up at home and work.
“Taking parental leave to welcome our third child, Jacob Patros was humbling and transformative. It reaffirmed that true work-life balance isn’t just about scheduling, it’s about presence, priorities, and shared responsibility.”
Bakos Patros, Principal Consultant, SYSTRA ANZ
“Taking four months off for my third son was honestly life-changing. With my first two kids, I didn’t get the same opportunity to be fully present, so this time I made it a priority. It wasn’t just about helping at home, it was about being there emotionally and mentally.”
Gysbertus Els, Site Train Validation Engineer, Alstom
“Having Roman in July 2024 was, as expected, life-changing, but in the most wonderful way. Taking the initial 2 weeks enabled my partner and I to return home from hospital and adjust to our new lives. We could focus and spend all of our energy on supporting each-other and ensuring that Roman was progressing well in those early critical days/weeks. When I returned to work I could not have felt better supported. I returned to an environment where work was adaptable around my home life situation at the time.”
Thomas Cuff, Human Resources Business Partner, Rheinmetall UK
“Following the birth of my daughter Darcie in August 2022, I took two weeks’ paternity leave and wrapped additional annual leave around it to spend more time with my family. While that initial period was special, what’s had a longer-term impact is the flexible working arrangement I’ve since put in place — taking every other Monday off.”
Adam Edwards, Resourcing Business Partner, CityFibre UK
“Taking parental leave reinforced the reality that work isn’t everything. The opportunity to dedicate 100% of my time to my family allowed me to fully embrace fatherhood without distractions.”
Paul Ogier, Reliability and Remote Support Centre Manager, Sandvik
Stigma, support and the courage to ask
While support for parental leave is improving, many dads still battle internal doubts or worry about how taking leave will be perceived.
These stories highlight the ongoing unconscious (and sometimes conscious) bias around men taking parental leave and the courage it takes to acknowledge and push past these. Benefits are reaped by all when they do.
“I didn’t get any direct pushback, but there were moments when I felt like stepping away for four months might be unusual or risky, especially as a male engineer in a management capacity. What made a huge difference was my manager’s support. He treated it as a normal, responsible choice, not something to justify. That kind of leadership gave me the confidence to focus on my family without worrying about how it might be perceived.”
Gysbertus Els, Site Train Validation Engineer, Alstom
“There’s still a lingering perception that parental leave can stall your career. But the more we normalise dads taking the full leave, the more we shift that mindset. Especially for those of us in leadership. It’s on us to role model what balance looks like.”
Callum Laming, Manager, Field Operations and Optimisation, IGO
“At first, I had some internal doubts. Would stepping back affect my momentum or how I was perceived professionally? But from the outset, SYSTRA’s support was sincere and unwavering. There was no hesitation, only encouragement. That made me feel genuinely valued and allowed me to fully focus on my role as a father during that time. My team and managers were actively supportive, which made all the difference.”
Bakos Patros, Principal Consultant, SYSTRA ANZ
“I was nervous about requesting flexible working. I hadn’t seen any other dads doing it, and I was worried it might be seen as a lack of ambition or commitment. I did, however, speak with women colleagues who had similar arrangements, which gave me confidence to raise it.
My line manager and the HR team were brilliant. They talked me through the process and openly discussed how it could work without disrupting the team. Their support made the difference in moving from hesitation to action.”
Adam Edwards, Resourcing Business Partner, CityFibre UK
When workplaces walk the talk
Having the right policies is only half the story; how organisations apply them in practice is what truly creates change. These experiences show how genuine support builds trust, loyalty, and deeper employee engagement.
“Sportsbet fully supported me in my parental leave journey. As a business with a leading parental leave policy, all employees are encouraged to use the policy. Sportsbet even took it one step further – hiring me at the time, knowing that we were expecting our first child, and then still providing parental leave – this is because there is no minimum period of service hurdle for accessing Sportsbet’s parental leave policy.”
David Jancik, Head of Public Policy & Reputation, Sportsbet
“IGO had my back. My manager, People and Culture and my team, and even colleagues across the business made it easy to step away and focus on family. A lot has changed since I first took parental leave four years ago. Back then, I was told by a senior man, “You can’t even lactate.” This time? Mostly lighthearted jokes and genuine support, especially from those who never had the chance to take leave themselves.”
Callum Laming, Manager, Field Operations and Optimisation, IGO
“I was very fortunate not to face any negative stigma from colleagues at Essential Energy, only jealousy from those who were finished having kids, and received very different benefits when they did. The workplace was so supportive of me utilising the gender-neutral paid parental leave and not having to think about work at all, but instead being 100% present to care for my family through the immense change.”
Alex Kroon, Engineer – Network Protection and Earthing, Essential Energy
“Within Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, taking parental leave as a father was fully supported—there were no barriers, just encouragement. This level of support from Sandvik made the transition into full-time caregiving smoother.”
Paul Ogier, Reliability and Remote Support Centre Manager, Sandvik
“I faced no barriers at all, was consulted about the options I have and felt supported in making a decision and then during the time I took leave. I experienced only respect and support from peers and other colleagues.”
Guenther Haberl, General Manager Engineering, Rheinmetall
Leading by example
When fathers are empowered to take leave, challenge stigma, and embrace shared caregiving, everyone benefits: families grow stronger, workplace cultures become more equitable, and teams thrive through empathy and flexibility.
It’s clear that non-gendered, inclusive parental leave policies are not just good practice, they’re a business and societal imperative.
These men prove that by stepping up, speaking out, and leading by example, real change is not only possible – it’s already happening.
You can now ‘Follow’ Endorsed Employers on WORK180 to stay up to date on new roles and parental leave policies via their dedicated profiles.
Click on the links below and look for the ‘Follow’ button at the top of the employer’s profile:
Alstom | Essential Energy | CityFibre UK | IGO | Rheinmetall | Rheinmetall UK | Sandvik | Sportsbet | SYSTRA ANZ
