Why paternity leave benefits everyone | The Way We Work, a TED series

- I remember the day:

翻译人员: gigide Hulu 校对人员: Yanyan Hong

我还记得那天。

my wife was three months pregnant,

我太太怀孕 3 个月了， 我知道我想请假。

and I knew that I wanted to take time off.

But when I walked in to ask my boss,

但是当我走去问我的老板时，

I was so nervous.

我很紧张。

I was about to ask for seven months of paternity leave,

我想请 7 个月的陪产假，

and I just didn't know how my boss would react to that.

而我不知道我的老板会作何反应。

(machine whirs) (playful music)

[我们工作的方式]

(drawer thuds)

Like most men in Japan,

就像大多数日本男性，

I grew up being told that masculinity

我成长在一个总被告知你 应该有“男子气概”的环境里。

is supposed to look a certain way.

You're supposed to be stoic and strong,

你应该坚忍而坚强，

dominant and in control,

能支配和有控制权；

the breadwinner for your family.

是家庭中养家糊口的那个人。

But when I met my wife, she challenged me on that.

但是当我遇到我的太太，

她挑战了我。

She pushed me on thinking

她促使我去思考是不是应该 总是由男人支付约会的费用，

that men should always pay for dates,

on assuming that women should always do the childcare.

并假设女性应该承担育儿的工作。

Japan offers both mothers and fathers,

日本提供父母双方 12 个月的带薪育儿假。

12 months of paid parental leave.

It's been ranked number one in the world

从时长和育儿假的补偿方面，

in terms of length and compensation for paternity leave.

这是世界第一。

But here's the crazy thing:

但是讽刺的是，

In 2020, (footsteps patter)

在 2020 年， 只有大概 7% 的父亲休了陪产假。

only about 7% of fathers took it.

And of that 7%, 3/4 took a leave of two weeks or less.

而在这 7% 里，

75% 的父亲只休了 两周甚至更少的时间。

With pressure at work,

由于工作压力，

most Japanese men just aren't at home

在这个关键时期， 大多数日本男性并不在家。

during this pivotal time.

And that's a shame,

这是一种耻辱，

because paternity leave, it benefits everyone.

但是育儿假，

实际上对每个人都有好处。

Here is why normalizing it is so important:

这就是让它常态化如此重要的原因。

I believe deeply in gender equality.

我我深信性别平等。

I took my wife's last name,

婚后我用了我太太的姓， 我甚至还写了本书。

and even wrote a book about it.

And still, I was terrified asking for paternity leave.

但是我仍然很害怕去要求陪产假。

I'd heard of bosses denying the request,

我听说过老板们拒绝的例子，

or questioning their employee's masculinity.

或者质疑员工的男子气概。

I was scared that, in asking for time off,

我很害怕去请假，

I might be replaced or left behind.

我可能会被替代或者被遗忘，

But my boss, he accepted my request right away,

但是我的老板——

他马上接受了我的申请，

which made me feel so valued,

这让我觉得很受重视，

and it let me focus on what was most important:

他让我把注意力 集中在重要的事情上：

my family. (gentle piano music)

我的家庭。

当我每天能见到我刚出生的儿子时， 我难以言表自己的喜悦。

I can't describe how much joy I got

seeing my newborn son each day.

I especially loved my early morning shift with him,

我特别喜欢跟他一起上早班，

so his mom could sleep in.

这样他的妈妈就能睡一觉。

When he was a newborn, (birds chirping)

当他还是个新生儿时，

we'd just cuddle on the couch.

我只是拥着他躺在沙发上，

And when he got a little bigger,

但当他大一些，

he became my best workout buddy,

他成了我最好的锻炼伙伴，

as a cheerleader during my morning runs,

当我推着他的推车晨跑， 他是啦啦队长。

in his stroller. (stroller wheels rattle)

Or, as a human dumbbell for squats and biceps curls.

我深蹲和二头肌弯举时， 他是人形哑铃。

I feel so close to my son now.

现在我感觉跟我的儿子特别亲密。

And it's not just me;

这不仅仅对我。

men who take paternity leave experience a stronger bond

休陪产假的父亲都会 与他们的孩子建立更牢固的联系。

with their babies.

Research shows that the longer the paternity leave,

研究发现，陪产假时间越长，

the more engaged the father is

在孩子生命的最初几年 父亲的投入度越高。

in the first few years of a child's life.

I was shocked to learn that over half

我很震惊地发现

of all US fathers report feeling dissatisfied

超过一半的美国父亲说，

with the amount of time they spend with their children.

他们不满意跟孩子共处的时间长度。

Paternity leave is a chance to change that.

陪产假是一个改变这个的机会。

My relationship with my wife also deepened on my leave.

在我休假期间， 我和我太太的关系更亲密了。

We went on a walk together every day,

我们每天一起散步，

and I became a better cook and cleaner

我成了一个更好的厨师和清洁工，

because I was able to spend more time

因为我能花更多时间做家务，

on household duties, (contents glub)

which made her happy. (steam hisses)

这让她很开心。

In a McKinsey & Company survey,

在一项麦肯锡（McKinsey）的调查中，

90% of fathers who took paternity leave

休过陪产假的父亲中，90% 的人说，

say it improved their relationship, too.

陪产假提升了与伴侣的关系。

This happens along a few different dimensions:

这发生在几个不同的维度。

First, because you gain a whole new respect

首先，因为你投入到育儿和家务

for what's involved in childcare and housework,

你收获了新的尊重，

and it makes you step up and take on more.

这让你挺身而出并愿意承担更多。

And by being home, you're providing emotional support.

而且，当你在家，

你能提供情感支持。

Statistics show (steam hisses)

数据显示当母亲的伴侣参与时，

that when a mother's partner is involved,

especially in the first few weeks after birth,

特别是在生产后的最初几周，

it reduces the risk of postpartum depression significantly.

能显著降低产后抑郁的风险。

But this is really just the start,

但是这只是开始，

because paternity leave is also good for business.

因为陪产假对企业也有好处。

Paternity leave can have a profound impact

陪产假能给工作场所的 性别平等带来深远的影响，

on gender equality in the workforce.

There is an inherent imbalance

如果女性休产假而男性不休陪产假，

if women take childcare leave, and men don't.

这存在固有的不平衡。

Working mothers are often juggling two full-time jobs,

职场妈妈经常需要 在两份全职工作之间跳跃：

one at work, and one at home. (keys clack)

一份在公司，一份在家里。

Many don't return to the workforce

很多职场妈妈生育后 不再重返工作岗位，

or decide to take reduced roles.

或者决定减少工作。

(baby cries) By taking paternity leave,

通过休陪产假，

(alarm clock rings)

men can give women more options,

男性能给女性更多的选择，

and even boost their ability to rise into leadership roles.

甚至提升他们上升到领导角色的能力。

A study in Sweden showed that for every month

瑞典的一项研究发现，

父亲每多休一个月的陪产假，

of parental leave taken by the father,

the mother's earnings increased by approximately 7%.

母亲的收入增长接近 7%。

另一个有意思的数据是， 在日本，90% 的女性学生说，

It's interesting to note that 90% of female students

in Japan say they'd want their future partner

她们希望她们 未来的另一半会休陪产假，

to take parental leave,

and nearly 80% of men entering the workforce here,

在日本，80%的职场男性

and I suspect in other countries too,

我怀疑在其他国家，也一样，

say they want to take paternity leave.

说他们想要休陪产假。

For employers to have that open, inclusive culture

对于雇主来说，

where paternity leave is respected,

这种尊重陪产假的开放、包容的文化

that can help companies attract and retain the best talent.

能帮助公司吸引和留任更多的人才。

Workers are increasingly choosing the companies

求职者越来越多地 选择基于这种文化的公司。

based on the culture.

This is a space where any company

这是一个任何公司 都能自我推动的一个空间。

can give themselves a boost.

I've been back at my job for about three months now,

我已经回来工作 3 个月了，

and I can already tell you, I feel so much more productive.

我能告诉你们，

我觉得我更有效率并且非常专注，

I'm very focused, (employees chatter)

and always looking for ways to be more efficient,

而且总是去寻找让我更有效率的方式。

so I can get home to my family.

这样我就能回家和家人一起。

I've heard this from many mothers coming back

我从很多休完产假回来的妈妈那里 也听说过这个。

from maternity leave, too.

And studies confirm.

研究证实，

80% of companies that offer paid family leave

80% 提供带薪陪产假的公司，

报告了陪产假对士气的正面的影响。

report a positive impact on morale,

and 70% notice a boost in productivity.

70% 的公司注意到工作效率的提升。

It's a positive for any company.

这对任何公司都是正面的，

这就引出了我的最后一点，

And that brings me to my final point:

Paternity leave, it's good for society.

陪产假——

对社会是好事。

Paternity leave is one of the big steps we can make

陪产假是我们所能采取的重大举措之一

in giving partners the opportunity to share their work,

在给予伴侣机会

both at home and at work.

分享家庭和职场的工作方面。

It's one of our best bets to bridge the gender gap, overall.

这是我们弥合性别差距的最好选择之一。

Research shows that when that gender gap gets smaller,

研究表明，当性别差距变小时，

people report higher life satisfaction.

人们有更高的生活满意度。

(people cheer)

Iceland, Norway, and Finland rank top three

冰岛、挪威和芬兰

in the Global Gender Gap Index,

是全球性别差距指数排名里的前三。

and over 70% of fathers take paternity leave.

在这三个国家， 70% 以上的父亲会休陪产假，

如果你看看 世界幸福报告的排名，

And if you take a look at their ranking

in the World Happiness Report,

they're very, very high.

这些国家非常、非常高。

This might be a coincidence,

这也许是个巧合，但是......

but I don't think so.

我不这么认为。

That freedom to be yourself

做自己的自由，

and make choices without gender expectations,

不被性别期待的限制的选择的自由，

it feels really good.

真是太棒了。

我们生活在父权社会，

We live in a patriarchy, and what I've realized

而我也意识到 而这个系统地偏袒男性的世界，

is that the same world that systematically favors men,

it's also trapping us in a cage.

也把我们困在笼子里。

We need more countries to set up systems

我们需要更多的国家来建立这个体制，

that allow all parents to take paid childcare leave,

让所有的父母能休带薪育儿假，

to give everyone new options.

为所有人提供休产假的选择，

We need to build a culture

我们需要建立一种文化，

that encourages and values men as caretakers,

鼓励并重视男性承担看护者的角色，

because we can do it too.

因为我们也能做到。

(gentle music)