Leave and Let Leave: Workplace Peer Effects in Fathers’ Take-up of Parental Leave

Alessandra Casarico, Edoardo Di Porto (), Joanna Kopinska and Salvatore Lattanzio

No 25126, RFBerlin Discussion Paper Series from ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin (RFBerlin)

Abstract: Using a reform that increased parental leave generosity, we estimate workplace peer effects in leave-taking, focusing on fathers. Coworker fathers are more likely to take leave when exposed to more peer fathers affected by the reform. Effects are stronger in establishments with higher social capital and pre-reform leave use. We explain our findings showing that incumbent coworkers drive the effects, same-gender peer influences exceed cross-gender ones, the strongest peer effects run from higher- to lower-ranked occupations, and career penalties are absent for peer fathers. Peer effects extend to coworker fathers' partners, less so to coworker mothers' partners.

Keywords: Parental leave; peer effects; career costs; female labor market participation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J13 J16 J18 K31 M52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-11
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Related works:
Working Paper: Leave and Let Leave: Workplace Peer Effects in Fathers’ Take-up of Parental Leave (2025)
Working Paper: Leave and Let Leave: Workplace Peer Effects in Fathers’ Take-up of Parental Leave (2025)
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