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Parental leave is the right to take time off work, paid or unpaid, to care for a child or make arrangements for the child's welfare. Often, the term parental leave includes maternity, paternity, and adoption leave.
In most western countries parental leave is available for those who have worked for their current employer for a certain period of time. In the UK, for instance, working mothers are given the right to 26 weeks of paid leave for each child, 6 weeks at 90% of full pay and 20 weeks at a fixed amount.
An example of generous parental leave is Sweden, where all working parents are entitled to 18 months' paid leave per child, the cost being shared between employer and State. To encourage greater paternal involvement in child-rearing, a minimum of 3 months out of the 18 is required to be used by the "minority" parent, in practice usually the father, and some Swedish political parties on the Left argue for legislation to oblige families to divide the 18 months equally between both parents. Norway also has similarly generous leave.
The system in Bulgaria is even more generous, providing mothers with 45 days 100% paid sick leave prior the due date, 2 years paid leave, and 1 additional year of unpaid leave. The employeer is oblidged to restore the mother to the same position upon return to work. In addition, pregnant women and single mothers cannot be fired.
There is currently a push to expand paid maternity leave in countries such as Australia and the United States. In 2000, parental leave was greatly expanded in Canada from 10 weeks to 35 weeks divided between the two parents, which can be expanded to a year. In Canada parental leave is paid for by the Employment Insurance system.
Parental leave rights in different countries around the world All of the above tables are compiled from http://www.apesma.asn.au/women/maternity_leave_around_the_world.asp (compiled June 2001), with additonal information in the European table from http://ec.europa.eu/eures/home.jsp?lang=en (taken from this page in Feb 2006) and http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4837422.stm (March 2006). Paternal leave rights compiled from International Labour Organization site at http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/condtrav/family/reconcilwf/specialleave.htm copyrighted 2006. This site does not list the amount paid for paid leave. Where information from the International Labour Organization disagreed with http://ec.europa.eu/eures/home.jsp?lang=en, the EU site has been given precedence Please note that when entries are not listed in the table, it is because they were not known and not that they do not exist. Information on Swedish parental leave from http://www.forsakringskassan.se/
Africa
| Country | Paid maternity leave | Paid paternity leave | Unpaid maternity leave | Unpaid paternity leave | Restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algeria | 14 weeks 100% | 3 days | |||
| Angola | 90 days 100% | ||||
| Benin | 14 weeks 100% | ||||
| Botswana | 12 weeks 25% | ||||
| Burkina Faso | 14 weeks 100% | ||||
| Burundi | 12 weeks 50% | ||||
| Cameroon | 14 weeks 100% | Up to 10 days paid leave for family events concerning workers' home | |||
| Central African Republic | 14 weeks 50% | ||||
| Chad | 14 weeks 50% | Up to 10 days paid leave for family events concerning workers' home | |||
| Comoros | 14 weeks 100% | ||||
| Congo | 15 weeks 100% | ||||
| Cote d'Ivoire | 14 weeks 100% | Up to 10 days paid leave for family events concerning workers' home | |||
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 14 weeks 67% | ||||
| Djibouti | 14 weeks 50% (100% for public employees) | 10 days family-related leave | |||
| Egypt | 50 days 100% | ||||
| Equatorial Guinea | 12 weeks 75% | ||||
| Ethiopia | 90 days 100% | Five days of unpaid leave in the event of exceptional or serious events | |||
| Gabon | 14 weeks 100% | Up to 10 days paid leave for family events concerning workers' home | |||
| The Gambia | 12 weeks 100% | ||||
| Ghana | 12 weeks 50% | ||||
| Guinea | 14 weeks 100% | ||||
| Guinea-Bissau | 60 days 100% | ||||
| Kenya | 2 months 100% | ||||
| Lesotho | 12 weeks | ||||
| Libyan Arab Jamahiriya | 50 days 50% | ||||
| Madagascar | 14 weeks 100% | 10 days of unpaid leave for family events | |||
| Mali | 14 weeks 100% | ||||
| Mauritania | 14 weeks 100% | ||||
| Mauritius | 12 weeks 100% | ||||
| Morocco | 12 weeks 100% | ||||
| Mozambique | 60 days 100% | ||||
| Namibia | 12 weeks amount as prescribed | ||||
| Niger | 14 weeks 50% | ||||
| Nigeria | 12 weeks 50% | ||||
| Rwanda | 12 weeks 67% | Two days | |||
| Sao Tome/Principe | 60 days 100% | 10 days | |||
| Senegal | 14 weeks 100% | ||||
| Seychelles | 14 weeks flat rate for 10 weeks | Four days of paid leave for "compassionate reasons" | |||
| Somalia | 14 weeks 50% | ||||
| South Africa | 12 weeks 45% | Three days paid family responsibility leave | |||
| Sudan | 8 weeks 100% | ||||
| Swaziland | 12 weeks | ||||
| Tanzania | 12 weeks 100% | ||||
| Togo | 14 weeks 100% | Up to ten days of paid leave for "family events directly related to home" | |||
| Tunisia | 30 days 67% | 1 day (private sector), 2 days (public sector) | |||
| Uganda | 4 weeks 100% | 4 weeks | |||
| Zambia | 12 weeks 100% | ||||
| Zimbabwe | 90 days 60%/75% |
Americas
| Country | Paid maternity leave | Paid paternity leave | Unpaid maternity leave | Unpaid paternity leave | Restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antigua/Barbuda | 13 weeks 60% | ||||
| Argentina | 90 days 100% | Two days | |||
| Bahamas | 8 weeks 100% | One week family-related leave | |||
| Barbados | 12 weeks 100% | ||||
| Belize | 12 weeks 80% | ||||
| Bolivia | 60 days 100% of national min. wage + 70% of wages above min. wage | ||||
| Brazil | 120 days 100% | Seven days | |||
| Canada | 55% for 15 weeks | 55% for 35 weeks | 17 weeks maternity + 35 weeks parental leave or | 37 weeks which can be shared with mother | |
| Chile | 18 weeks 100% | One day | |||
| Colombia | 12 weeks 100% | ||||
| Costa Rica | 4 months 100% | ||||
| Cuba | 18 weeks 100% | ||||
| Dominica | 12 weeks 60% | ||||
| Dominican Republic | 12 weeks 100% | ||||
| Ecuador | 12 weeks 100% | ||||
| El Salvador | 12 weeks 75% | ||||
| Grenada | 3 months 100% (2 months), 60% for 3rd month | ||||
| Guatemala | 12 weeks 100% | Two days at birth of child | |||
| Guyana | 13 weeks 70% | ||||
| Haiti | 12 weeks 100% for 6 weeks | ||||
| Honduras | 10 weeks 100% for 84 days | ||||
| Jamaica | 12 weeks 100% for 8 weeks | ||||
| Mexico | 12 weeks 100% | ||||
| Nicaragua | 12 weeks 60% | ||||
| Panama | 14 weeks 100% | ||||
| Paraguay | 12 weeks 50% for 9 weeks | Two days | |||
| Peru | 90 days 100% | ||||
| Saint Lucia | 13 weeks 65% | ||||
| Trinidad/Tobago | 13 weeks 60%-100% | ||||
| United States | 0 weeks | 12 weeks | 12 weeks | ||
| Uruguay | 12 weeks 100% | Three days paternity leave for civil servants | |||
| Venezuela | 18 weeks 100% |
Asia/Pacific
| Country | Paid maternity leave | Paid paternity leave | Unpaid maternity leave | Unpaid paternity leave | Restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 90 days 100% | ||||
| Australia | 0 weeks | 1 year | |||
| Bahrain | 45 days 100% | ||||
| Bangladesh | 12 weeks 100% | ||||
| Cambodia | 90 days 50% | 10 days special leave for family events | |||
| China | 90 days 100% | ||||
| Fiji | 84 days Flat rate | ||||
| India | 12 weeks 100% | ||||
| Indonesia | 3 months 100% | Two days' paid when wife gives birth | |||
| Iran | 90 days 66.7% for 16 weeks | ||||
| Iraq | 62 days 100% | ||||
| Israel | 12 weeks 75% | ||||
| Japan | 14 weeks 60% | ||||
| Jordan | 10 weeks 100% | ||||
| Korea, Republic of | 60 days 100% | ||||
| Kuwait | 70 days 100% | ||||
| Laos | 90 days 100% | ||||
| Lebanon | 40 days 100% | ||||
| Malaysia | 60 days 100% | ||||
| Mongolia | 101 days - | ||||
| Myanmar | 12 weeks 66.7% | Six days of "casual leave" that can be used by fathers to assist their spouses at the time of confinement | |||
| Nepal | 52 days 100% | ||||
| New Zealand | 0 weeks | 14 weeks | 2 weeks | ||
| Pakistan | 12 weeks 100% | ||||
| Papua New Guinea | 0 | 6 weeks | |||
| Philippines | 60 days 100% | Seven days paid paternity leave for married workers | |||
| Qatar | 40-60 days 100% for civil servants | ||||
| Saudi Arabia | 10 weeks 50% or 100% | One day | |||
| Singapore | 8 weeks 100% | ||||
| Solomon Islands | 12 weeks 25% | ||||
| Sri Lanka | 12 weeks 100% | ||||
| Syria | 75 days 100% | ||||
| Thailand | 90 days 100% for 45 days then 50% for 45 days | ||||
| United Arab Emirates | 45 days 100% | ||||
| Vietnam | 4-6 months 100% | ||||
| Yemen | 60 days 100% |
Europe
| Country | Paid maternity leave | Paid paternity leave | Unpaid maternity leave | Unpaid paternity leave | Restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 16 weeks 100% | ||||
| Belarus | 126 days 100% | ||||
| Belgium | 15 weeks 82% for 30 days, 75%* thereafter | ||||
| Bulgaria | 120-180 days 100% | ||||
| Cyprus | 16 weeks 75% | ||||
| Denmark | 18 weeks 100% (10 more weeks may be taken by either parent) | 14 days paid paternity leave + Two weeks paid parental leave reserved for the father | |||
| Estonia | 14 calendar days | ||||
| Finland | 105 days 80% | 18 days | |||
| France | 16 weeks (100%) rising to 26 weeks (100%) for third child | 2 weeks | Share of 104 weeks (2 years) with father | Share of 104 weeks (2 years) with mother | |
| Germany | 14 weeks (100%) 6 before birth | 0 weeks | Share of 156 weeks (3 years) with father | Share of 156 weeks (3 years) with mother | Must have private health insurance for part of paid leave, rest of paid leave paid by employer |
| Greece | 16 weeks 75% | ||||
| Hungary | 24 weeks 100% | Five days | |||
| Iceland | 2 months Flat rate | Three months | |||
| Ireland | 26 weeks | 0 | 14 weeks that can be shared with father | 14 weeks that can be shared with mother | |
| Italy | 22 weeks (5 months) (80%) 2 before birth | 13 weeks (3 months) (80%) | Maximum 26 weeks (6 months) (total for both parents maximum 44 weeks (10 months)) | Maximum 26 weeks (6 months) (total for both parents maximum 44 weeks (10 months)) | For paid leave, job contract must include social contributions (INPS) |
| Latvia | 10 calendar days | ||||
| Liechtenstein | 8 weeks 80% | ||||
| Luxembourg | 16 weeks 100% | ||||
| Malta | 13 weeks 100% | ||||
| Netherlands | 16 weeks 100% | ||||
| Norway | 52 weeks (12 months) (80%) or 44 weeks (10 months) (100%) - mother must take first 6 weeks after birth - the rest can be shared with the father | 46 weeks (10.5 months) (80%) or 37 weeks (8.5 months) (100%) shared with mother - father must take a minimum of 4 weeks | 0 | 0 | |
| Poland | 16-18 weeks 100% | ||||
| Portugal | 98 days 100% | Five days | |||
| Romania | 112 days 50%-94% | Five days | |||
| Russia | 140 days 100% | ||||
| Slovenia | 90 days | ||||
| Spain | 16 weeks 100% | ||||
| Sweden | 480 days (16 months) (80% up to a ceiling the first 390 days, 90 days at flat rate) - shared with father (minimum 60 days) | 480 days (16 months) (80% up to a ceiling the first 390 days, 90 days at flat rate) - shared with mother (minimum 60 days) | |||
| Switzerland | 8 weeks (100%) | 0 | 0 | ||
| Turkey | 12 weeks 66.7% | Three days paternity leave in the public sector | |||
| Ukraine | 126 days 100% | ||||
| United Kingdom | 6 weeks (90%) 20 weeks at a fixed amount (as of March 2006 = £108.85) | 2 weeks at a fixed amount (as of March 2006 = £108.85) | 26 weeks | 0 | For paid leave must have paid social contributions (National Insurance) for 26 weeks or more before the 15th week before the due date. Must give employer notice. Both parents can have additional 13 weeks unpaid leave per year if they have worked for an employer for over 1 year for a child under 6. |
References and footnotes
See also
External links
- BBC article on proposed parental leave in Germany designed to halt the decline in the birth rate and male/female workplace inequality - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4852040.stm
- BBC article on declining birth rate in Italy - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4739154.stm
- BBC article on declining birth rate in Poland and new schemes designed to increase it - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4852924.stm
- BBC article on success of Norway's parental leave scheme - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4786160.stm
- BBC guide to parenthood policies in Europe - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4837422.stm (n.b. In this BBC article parental leave means unpaid leave)
- Trends in Maternity Leave for First-Time Mothers in the U.S. - http://fycs.ifas.ufl.edu/news/2006/05/family-album-radio-trends-in-maternity.html
"Parental leave"