Mark Zuckerberg To Take Two Months Paternity Leave

Facebook's founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced his plans to take two months of paternity leave when his daughter is born.

Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, announced that they were expecting their first child back in July.

Explaining the "very personal decision" decision in a post on his Facebook page, alongside a photo of his dog Beast and a baby seat, the 31-year-old wrote:

“Studies show that when working parents take time to be with their newborns, outcomes are better for the children and families. At Facebook we offer our US employees up to four months of paid maternity or paternity leave which they can take throughout the year."

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Mark Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan. Photo: Getty Images

According to a 2014 report on working parents by the Australian Human Rights Commission, in Australia one in four fathers and partners have faced discrimination for taking parental leave – for mothers, it’s one in two.

The penalties for men who put their hand up for paternity leave range from negative attitudes and comments from colleagues and managers, through to missing out on training and promotions, reduced pay and conditions, as well as job loss through redundancy.

Zuckerberg's decision to take paternity sets a powerful precedent and will hopefully encourage more men and women at all levels to take leave from work with their newborn children.

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Mark Zuckerberg announced his plans to take paternity leave alongside this snap of his dog Beast. Photo: Facebook

Facebook's COO Sheryl Sandberg commented on the post, congratulating the couple.

"Enjoy the precious early months with your daughter — I can’t wait to meet her."

There is no word yet on who will run the company while Zuckerberg is on leave.