28.08.2020 | As a new daddy to his two-week old son, Axpo’s Specialist Hydro Energy Engineer, Roland Egloff speaks about taking paternity leave.
"I can now take full care of my family"
At Axpo, fathers benefit from 10 days paternity leave. We asked Roland, and Head of HR Services, Stefan Lais, why Axpo offers paternity leave, how teams organise themselves during paternity leave, and who benefits?
Interview with Roland Egloff, Specialist Hydro Energy Engineer
Roland, you became father to a baby boy a few days ago. Congratulations! How does it feel?
My wife and I are overjoyed that our son was born healthy. Now there are three of us, which is quite a change. The nights are not quite as restful anymore, but that hasn’t detracted from our happiness.
At Axpo, you have ten days paid paternity leave. What do you appreciate about that?
I think it's great that I can benefit from paternity leave in this way. Axpo motivates fathers to spend time with their families after the birth. As a new father, particularly in this initial phase, I really appreciate that. I can now take full care of my family, and I will be more balanced and motivated when I get back to work.
To what extent does this make Axpo a more attractive employer?
With paternity leave and support for childcare costs, Axpo is showing its appreciation for the family. For me however, the opportunity to work part-time is more important. It makes it much easier for my wife and I to combine work and childcare.
You can take your paternity leave either as a block within the first two months or as individual days. Which option have you decided on?
I am taking my paternity leave in one block and I’ll add another week of leave as well. It is important for me to build a bond with my child from the very beginning, and to be able to actively participate in the transition into our life as a new family.
How did your team organize their responsibilities during your paternity leave?
The challenge with paternity leave is not its duration, but the fact that the beginning of the leave cannot always be precisely planned. As far as possible, I didn’t schedule any appointments in August, around the anticipated date of birth, and I coordinated with my project and team members. In our team, we have always supported each other during vacations, so of course, we did the same for the paternity leave.
Interview with Stefan Lais, Head of HR Services
Why do we need paternity leave?
Many fathers today feel the need to spend more time with their children. The birth of a child is a very important event, where circumstances change and new challenges arise for a family. The first few weeks after the birth are especially important and a very demanding time. A two-week paternity leave is of real importance to young families. This extended paternity leave benefits everyone; fathers, mothers and their children.
At this time, the law stipulates a minimum of one day. Why does Axpo offer ten days?
Increasingly, companies are offering an extended paternity leave as an opportunity to make working for them more attractive. Families face major challenges after a birth or an adoption, and Axpo want to support them in this respect.
