Mothers at work: How mandating a short maternity leave affects work and fertility

Girsberger, EM; Hassani-Nezhad, L; Karunanethy, K; Lalive, R

Mothers at work: How mandating a short maternity leave affects work and fertility

Girsberger, EM Hassani-Nezhad, L Karunanethy, K Lalive, R

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Publisher:: Elsevier
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Labour Economics, 2023, 84, pp. 1-26
Issue Date:: 2023-10-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Girsberger, EM
dc.contributor.author	Hassani-Nezhad, L
dc.contributor.author	Karunanethy, K
dc.contributor.author	Lalive, R
dc.date.accessioned	2024-03-07T22:56:42Z
dc.date.available	2024-03-07T22:56:42Z
dc.date.issued	2023-10-01
dc.identifier.citation	Labour Economics, 2023, 84, pp. 1-26
dc.identifier.issn	0927-5371
dc.identifier.issn	1879-1034
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/176314
dc.description.abstract	Switzerland mandated a 14-week paid maternity leave in 2005 when many firms already offered a similar benefit. While the mandate had only small and temporary effects on labor market outcomes of first-time mothers, it raised the share of those having a second child by three percentage points. Women employed in firms with prior paid leave sharply increased their subsequent fertility. In contrast, women employed in other firms did not change their fertility behaviour, but instead saw a persistent increase in their earnings after birth. This pattern of results suggests that firms with pre-mandate leave passed on (some of) their resulting cost-savings to their employees – “trickle down effects” – by making their maternity leave more generous than mandated, hiring temporary replacement workers and/or supporting mothers’ return to work in other ways.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	Elsevier
dc.relation.ispartof	Labour Economics
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.labeco.2023.102364
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	1402 Applied Economics, 1403 Econometrics
dc.subject.classification	Economics
dc.subject.classification	3801 Applied economics
dc.subject.classification	4404 Development studies
dc.title	Mothers at work: How mandating a short maternity leave affects work and fertility
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	84
utslib.for	1402 Applied Economics
utslib.for	1403 Econometrics
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business/Economics Discipline
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	false
dc.date.updated	2024-03-07T22:56:39Z
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	84

Abstract:

Switzerland mandated a 14-week paid maternity leave in 2005 when many firms already offered a similar benefit. While the mandate had only small and temporary effects on labor market outcomes of first-time mothers, it raised the share of those having a second child by three percentage points. Women employed in firms with prior paid leave sharply increased their subsequent fertility. In contrast, women employed in other firms did not change their fertility behaviour, but instead saw a persistent increase in their earnings after birth. This pattern of results suggests that firms with pre-mandate leave passed on (some of) their resulting cost-savings to their employees – “trickle down effects” – by making their maternity leave more generous than mandated, hiring temporary replacement workers and/or supporting mothers’ return to work in other ways.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/176314