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Can Parental Leave Policies Change Leave-Taking Norms? Evidence from Immigrants

Author

Listed:
  • Delia Furtado
  • Samantha Trajkovski
  • Nikolaos Theodoropoulos

Abstract

When maternity leave policies lower the cost of taking leave, leave durations tend to increase. If enough people extend their leaves, social norms can shift, further reinforcing longer leave-taking. This paper examines whether foreign-born mothers in the US-who are not directly subject to home country policies-respond to policy changes abroad via norms. Exploiting variation in US birth timing and policy reforms abroad, we find that increases in paid leave in immigrants' home countries lead to longer US maternity leaves, even after accounting for country-of-origin fixed effects. Heterogeneity analyses and placebo tests also point to policy-induced shifting leave-taking norms.

Suggested Citation

  • Delia Furtado & Samantha Trajkovski & Nikolaos Theodoropoulos, 2025. "Can Parental Leave Policies Change Leave-Taking Norms? Evidence from Immigrants," RFBerlin Discussion Paper Series 2560, ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin (RFBerlin).
    • Handle: RePEc:crm:wpaper:2560
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J18 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Public Policy
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply

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