paternity leave
nounUK /pəˈtɜː.nə.ti liːv/
US /pəˈtɝː.nə.t̬i liːv/
Time a dad takes off from work to be with his new baby.
My dad took paternity leave for two weeks after my little sister was born.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A period of paid or unpaid time off granted by an employer to a father following the birth or adoption of a child.
The company offers six weeks of paid paternity leave to all new fathers.
3. A legal right in some countries allowing fathers to take job-protected time off to care for a newborn or newly adopted child.
Under the new law, paternity leave is guaranteed for up to four months.
4. Time taken by a father to care for a sick child or a child with special needs, sometimes extended from standard paternity leave.
He used extended paternity leave to care for his son after surgery.