Lifting the Barriers to Paid Family and Medical Leave for Men in the United States

Rather than thinking caregiving is something only women should do, Americans’ attitudes toward men giving care and taking caregiving leaves are evolving, most notably among men themselves. Based on a nationally representative survey conducted in partnership with NORC at the University of Chicago, and five online focus groups, this report points to key barriers men face that may prevent them from taking time off from work to engage in caregiving. These include financial concerns, inadequate workplace and manager support, and family and cultural barriers. These barriers are particularly challenging for low and median-wage earners who have the least access to paid leave. None of these barriers are adequately addressed in the current ad hoc system in America that relies on private companies to decide to voluntarily offer paid caregiving leave, or in public policy, where a piecemeal system benefits only those lucky enough to live in the handful of states that offer the paid leave benefit to residents and adequately enable them to use it.