USS Investment Management's Bhavin Dhanani and his family
The work calendar can be a relentless machine of demands on your time when you work in this industry. But a few months ago, my timeline shifted from meeting deadlines to tracking wake windows.
My employer, the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), offers a generous six months of fully paid paternity leave to eligible employees. It is a policy that looks fantastic as part of an employee value proposition, but one that truly transforms lives when put into practice.
I decided to take every single day of it.
I still remember the distinct mix of excitement and quiet anxiety I felt on my final day before leave. Had I handed everything over properly? Would I be missed? Could I cope without the helpful routine that work gives me? Would I have forgotten everything when I came back?
Walking out of the office, I knew I was stepping into the unknown. I wasn't just taking a break from work; I was entering a completely different world where success couldn't be measured by a single performance measure.
The first few weeks were a masterclass in humility. Society often romanticizes parental leave as a hazy, peaceful period of baby cuddles and long walks. The reality, as any parent knows, is a beautifully chaotic crash course in survival.
This paternity leave was for our second-born, and I took it a few months after he was born. He arrived a few weeks early (maybe he knew that his dad does not like being late for anything?). After a brief stint in NICU, he was allowed to come home.
Until this point, I had all the experience of our first-born to lean on, so taking leave a few months in felt like the right choice for us.
Nappies? No sweat. What colour to look for in them? Easy.
But having the steep learning curve of juggling two children? That was far tougher.
Through the haze of sleepless nights and endless cycles of laundry, the true value of a six-month window began to reveal itself.
It takes time to slow down. It takes time to shed the urge to check emails and to fully invest your mental energy into the rhythm of a household.
The period before my paternity leave started was hard, juggling the many competing demands of life and work.
But by taking that half a year, rather than a fleeting few weeks, I was able to experience the hat-trick of wins that extended paternity leave offers:
The deepening bond with my children
When paternity leave is short, fathers often step into the role of the ‘assistant manager' – helping out where needed but deferring to their partner for the heavy lifting.
Six months completely demolishes that dynamic. It gave me the time to develop my own intuitive relationship with my kids. I learned the distinct pitches of their cries, their exact nap-time preferences, and how to soothe them without needing a handoff.
It also deepened my connection with my eldest. Being able to pick her up from nursery, or take her to the park, all without the distraction of the urge to respond to an email or read a note.
With my son, being able to take him to his baby gymnastics class where he could develop his gross motor skills was a particular joy. I didn't just witness their growth from the sidelines; I was entirely embedded in it.
A true partnership
Extended leave levels the playing field at home in a way that weekend and evening help simply cannot. It allowed me to understand deeply the invisible, monumental mental load of running a household and managing childcare, all while recovering from the trauma and difficulty of pregnancy and labour – a job that truly goes underappreciated.
My wife and I were not operating on a primary-and-secondary basis; we became a seamless tag team. Sharing the highs and the exhausting lows of these six months cemented a partnership that will form the bedrock of our family for years to come.
The professional reset
Paradoxically, stepping away from my career for six months has made me a better professional.
I was genuinely concerned about this, but the time away provided a rare, high-altitude perspective on life and a chance to think more profoundly. The daily grind doesn't allow the time required to really switch off and, while this was not a paid holiday, the chance to reset had a huge benefit, particularly for my own mental wellbeing.
I am fortunate that my team stepped in and stepped up hugely in my absence, dealing with all sorts of challenges along the way, which in itself provided a great opportunity for their own professional development – something that we are still reaping the benefits of. When you are forced to become fiercely efficient with your time at home, you bring that same sense of focus back to the office.
More importantly, returning to a workplace that genuinely supported my absence fostered a deep sense of loyalty. A culture that celebrates fatherhood isn't just good on paper; it's good for organisational success.
As we celebrate Father's Day on Sunday (21 June), my hope is that extended paternity leave transitions from being viewed as a generous perk or a brave choice into the absolute baseline for many corporate roles.
As I reflect on how my family has grown, the benefit of paternity leave still shines through in our time together. My kids will know that Dad was there to take them to baby class, to their vaccinations, and for nursery pick-up and drop-off. Dad was there to spend time with them growing, learning, singing, dancing, playing and bonding.
Taking six months off didn't stall my career; it enriched my life, strengthened my marriage, and gave me an unbreakable bond with my children. To any dad-to-be sitting on the fence about taking their full leave: take the time.
The work will always be there when you get back, but these moments never will be.
Bhavin Dhanani is head of total portfolio management at USS Investment Management
