MINNEAPOLIS — Most parents would agree that there's nothing more exhausting and rewarding than having a new baby. But only about 28% of average-earners get paid family leave at work. New data that shows why paid leave is important — and not just for mothers.
Dalton Hessell has reason to believe his daughter will be amongst the basketball greats. As he marvels at his little girl, he says, "You got like a Michael Jordan tongue thing going right now, Mia." He notices the little things, because he's witnessed them firsthand.
"I was able to take six weeks for paternity leave," Hessell said. Hessell is a second grade teacher in Hayward, Wisconsin. Lately he's been spending his days teaching his daughter.
And he's not the only one who's grateful. "One of the most important things in our relationship and dynamic was the confidence in Dalton watching her solo, that was super important to me, where I wanted to be able to go get groceries, I wanted to have a girls day. I wanted to go back to work and Dalton was fully capable and knew exactly how to take care of her, what her routine was," Dalton's wife Claire Hessell said.
Claire Hessell works in HR, so she personally and professionally understands the benefits of both parents having paid family leave, a rare treat in the United States. "Having the paternity leave and the family leave together is what just creates that strong unit and it furthers the communication that you are going to have from the beginning," Claire Hessell said. .