Gender differences in understanding of the parental leave system: empirical evidence from Japan

Understanding the parental leave system at childbearing age is crucial for life after childbirth, regardless of gender. This study evaluates the level of employees’ knowledge about parental leave systems and investigates the factors influencing this knowledge. The results show that overall employees have poor knowledge of their parental leave system. However, female employees possess more knowledge of parental leave system than do their male counterparts. This low level of knowledge is troubling because it may discourage employees from taking advantage of the parental leave system available to them. Additionally, empirical evidence reveals that the determinants of this knowledge also differ between men and women. The factors influencing male employees’ knowledge of the parental leave system are more limited than are factors influencing female employees’ knowledge. The limited number of factors that influence male employees’ knowledge of the parental leave system should also be troubling to policymakers seeking to encourage more fathers to take parental leave.