An Analysis of the Relationship Between the Navy's Maternity Leave Policy and Reenlistment Rates
Abstract
In 2015, the Navy tripled the length of maternity leave from 6 to 18 weeks. In 2016, it reduced the length of leave to 12 weeks to match the other armed services. For most sailors who give birth, longer maternity leave will reduce the number of weeks they work. Additional leave could, however, also lead to higher reenlistment rates, thereby potentially increasing the net number of weeks of work for the entire enlisted inventory. We analyze the change in female sailors reenlistment rates relative to those of male sailors before and after the change in maternity leave policy. Although we cannot prove a causal relationship, we estimate that the increase in maternity leave is associated with a 3.7 percentage point increase in female first-term reenlistment rates. We also estimate that higher reenlistment rates increase weeks of work by over three times the number of weeks lost because of the additional leave.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2019
- Accession Number
- AD1073863
Entities
People
- Ann D. Parcell
- Daniel M. Leeds
- David J Gregory
- David L. Reese
Organizations
- Center for Naval Analyses