Paternity leave planner

How to plan leave that actually works

Most leave plans fail in one of two ways: dad takes two weeks at birth and is back at work exactly when things get hardest, or the family runs out of leave weeks before the daycare spot opens. The planner helps you avoid both.

1. Enter the due date and your state. Remember, the due date is a guess. The plan shows dates as if the baby arrives on time; shift accordingly.
2. Enter how many weeks each of you is likely to take. Use what your employers offer plus any state benefit.
3. Try all three strategies and watch two numbers: weeks with a parent home and the date childcare is needed. The staggered plan almost always covers more weeks.
4. Print or share the plan and bring it to the conversation with your manager.

The three layers of leave in the U.S.

Your employer’s policy. Many larger employers offer paid parental leave to all parents. Read the actual policy document, not the recruiting page: look for how many weeks are paid, whether it must be taken in one block, and the deadline to use it.

Your state’s program. Paid family leave insurance programs pay part of your wages while you bond with a new child. In 2026, programs are paying benefits in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington. Maryland has passed a program, but benefits are not scheduled to begin until 2028. New Hampshire and Vermont have voluntary programs that only cover you if your employer opted in or you bought a plan. Pick your state in the planner for weeks, pay rate, the 2026 maximum weekly benefit, and a link to the official site.

Federal FMLA. The Family and Medical Leave Act gives eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to bond with a new child, with group health insurance continued. You generally qualify if your employer has 50 or more employees within 75 miles and you have worked there at least 12 months and 1,250 hours in the past year. State paid leave and FMLA often run at the same time.

Together, staggered, or split

• Together at birth gives your partner the most support during physical recovery and the newborn fog. It also means you both go back to work earlier, and childcare starts sooner.
• Staggered (one week together, the rest after she returns) covers the most calendar weeks at home and gives you real solo time as a parent, which research and plenty of dads say changes how confident you feel.
• Split gives you both: a block at birth and a second block later. Check that your employer and state allow leave in more than one block.

There is no wrong answer, but there is one common mistake: not deciding until the baby arrives. HR paperwork, state claims and handovers take weeks.

A timeline for getting it done

• By week 20: read your employer’s policy and your state program’s rules. Use the planner to pick a strategy.
• By week 24 to 28: tell your manager your plan and expected dates. See how to ask for paternity leave.
• By week 30: submit HR forms. Learn how and when to file your state claim; some programs let you apply before the birth, others only after.
• By week 34: finish a handover document so you can actually switch off.