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"Maternity leave" redirects here. For the episode of Lost, see Maternity Leave (Lost).

Parental leave is an employee benefit that provides paid or unpaid time off work 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.1 Sweden is one country which provides generous parental leave: all working parents are entitled to 16 months paid leave per child, the cost being shared between employer and State. To encourage greater paternal involvement in child-rearing, a minimum of 2 months out of the 16 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 16 months equally between both parents. Norway also has similarly generous leave. In Estonia mothers are entitled to 18 months of paid leave, starting up to 70 days before due date. Fathers are entitled to paid leave starting from the third month after birth (paid leave is however available to only one parent at a time). The amount paid depends on wages earned during previous calendar year - most will receive 100% or full wage but there is an upper limit of three times national average.

The maternal-leave only 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 employer is obliged to restore the mother to the same position upon return to work. In addition, pregnant women and single mothers cannot be fired.

In 2000, parental leave was greatly expanded in Canada from 10 weeks to 35 weeks divided as desired between two parents. This is in addition to 15 weeks maternity leave, giving a total possible period of 50 weeks paid leave for a mother. There is still no paid leave for new fathers, however. In Canada maternity and parental leave is paid for by the Employment Insurance system.

In the UK, all female employees are entitled to 52 weeks of maternity leave, 39 weeks of which is paid, with the first six weeks paid at 90% of full pay and the remainder at a fixed rate.

Five countries in the world do not offer some form of paid parental leave - Australia, the United States, Liberia, Swaziland, and Papua New Guinea.

There is currently a push to expand paid maternity leave in the United States. One organization supporting paid maternity leave in the United States is Moms Rising.2 Additional information about family leave policies and movements within the United States is available at PaidFamilyLeave.org. It is doing so by appealing to each state legislature individually to obtain maternity leave in that state. The Center for Law and Social Policy is also a leader in the campaign for national paid leave policy and publishes often on the subject.

Contents

Parental leave rights in different countries around the world

Histogram of Paid Leave by country. A large majority of countries provide more than 20 paid weeks leave. Only 5 provide none.

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Africa

Country Paid maternity leave Paid paternity leave Unpaid maternity leave Unpaid paternity leave Restrictions
Algeria 14 weeks 100% 3 days
Angola 3 months 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 90 days (approx. 13 weeks) 100%
Equatorial Guinea 12 weeks 75%
Eritrea 60 days unknown
Ethiopia 90 days (approx. 12 weeks) 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 100%
Guinea 14 weeks 100%
Guinea-Bissau 60 days (approx. 8.5 weeks) 100%
Kenya 2 months 100%
Lesotho 12 weeks unknown
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 50 days (approx. 7 weeks) 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 14 weeks 100%
Mozambique 60 days (approx. 8.5 weeks) 100%
Namibia 12 weeks 80%
Niger 14 weeks 50%
Nigeria 12 weeks 50%
Rwanda 12 weeks 67% Two days
Sao Tome/Principe 60 days (approx. 8.5 weeks) 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 4 months Up to 60% dependent on income Three days paid family responsibility leave
Sudan 8 weeks 100%
Swaziland 12 weeks
Togo 14 weeks 100% Up to ten days of paid leave for "family events directly related to home"
Tunisia 30 days (approx. 4 weeks) 67% 1 day (private sector), 2 days (public sector)
Uganda 60 working days (approx. 8.5 weeks) 100% 4 working days 100%
United Republic of Tanzania 12 weeks 100% 5 days fully paid paternity leave Paid maternity leave may only be taken once every 36 months
Zambia 12 weeks 100%
Zimbabwe 90 days (approx. 12 weeks) 100%

Americas

Maternity Leave rights in the 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 13 weeks 60% One week family-related leave Paid maternity leave may only be taken once every 36 months
Barbados 12 weeks 100%
Belize 12 weeks 80%
Bolivia 12 weeks 100% of national min. wage + 70% of wages above min. wage
Brazil 120 days 100%, salary partially tax-deductible for employers 5 days (Article 10, Paragraph 1, of Temporary Constitutional Provisions Act of Brazilian Constitution)[2]
Canada 55% up to $413/week for 50 weeks (15 weeks maternity + 35 weeks parental leave shared with father) 55% up to $413/week for 35 weeks parental leave (shared with mother) 2 weeks
Chile 18 weeks 100% Article 66 indicates 1 day paid; Law N° 20.047 (2005) increased paternity leave to 4 days paid leave. (edward gonzalez-acosta, The New School)
Colombia 12 weeks 100% Law 755 (2002) appended a paragraph to Article 236 of the Labor Code to indicate that fathers have a leave of 4–8 days. (edward gonzalez-acosta, The New School)
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 84 days 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 3 months 65%
Trinidad/Tobago 13 weeks 60%-100%
United States 0 weeks 0 weeks 12 weeks 12 weeks To be covered under FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act):
Must work for a covered employer (all public agencies; private companies with 50 or more employees within 75 miles.)
Must have worked for covered employer for at least 12 months prior, and at least 1250 hours in previous 12 months. Other restrictions apply.
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%
Azerbaijan 126 days 100%
Australia 0 weeks 0 weeks 52 weeks 52 weeks Only the primary carer is entitled to leave, i.e. the 52 weeks are shared between parents
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 14 weeks 100% 1 year
Japan 14 weeks 60%
Jordan 10 weeks 100%
Korea, Republic of 90 days 100% 1 year (400US$ per a month paid by Employment Insurance)
Kuwait 70 days 100%
Lao People's Democratic Republic 3 months 70%
Lebanon 7 weeks 100%
Malaysia 60 days 100%
Mongolia 120 days 70%
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 14 weeks @ up to NZ$407.36/week 38 weeks Fathers can share unpaid (extended) leave with the mother of the child.
Pakistan 12 weeks 100%
Papua New Guinea 12 weeks 0%
Philippines 60 days 100% Seven days paid paternity leave for married workers
Qatar 50 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%
Syrian Arab Republic 50 days 70%
Thailand 90 days 100% for 45 days then 50% for 45 days
United Arab Emirates 3 months 100%
Vietnam 4–6 months 100%
Yemen 60 days 100%

Europe

Graph showing Maternal Leave rights in European Countries


Country Paid maternity leave Paid paternity leave Unpaid maternity leave Unpaid paternity leave Restrictions
Albania 1 year 80% before birth and 150 days, 50% for the rest
Austria 16 weeks 100%
Belarus 126 days 100%
Belgium 15 weeks 82% for 30 days, 75%* thereafter 10 day (3 days are compulsory)1 7 days but 82% paid out by health insurance fund
Bulgaria 135 days 90%
Cyprus 16 weeks 75%
Denmark 52 weeks. 18 to be taken by the mother, 2 weeks by the father, the rest as they see fit.
Estonia 140 days (100%), 154 days in the case of multiple birth or medical complications9 14 days, expires after 6 months after child's birth 3 years
Finland 105 days 80%, followed by share of 158 days with father 18 days, can share 158 days with mother after maternity leave Until child turns 3 Until child turns 3
France 16 weeks (100%) rising to 26 weeks (100%) for third child 15 days Share of 104 weeks (2 years) with father Share of 104 weeks (2 years) with mother
Germany 14 weeks (100%) 6 before birth, 12/14 months (67%, but not more than 1.800 Euro/month) (14 only for single mothers) 12/14 months (67%, but not more than 1.800 Euro/month) (14 only for single fathers) 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 119 weeks 100%
Hungary 24 weeks 100% Five days
Iceland 90 days 80% (based on total salary over a 12 month period ending 6 months before the birth). Max. monthly payment for 2008: Íkr535,700 (around €4,500, $6,500 at exchange rates in August 2008); min. monthly payment for 2008: Íkr103,869 (around €870, $1,250)

+ 90 days to be shared freely between the parents

 As for the mother 13 weeks 13 weeks Parents must have been working for a period of 6 months prior to taking the leave. Parental leave can be taken at any time during the first 18 months of the baby's life.
Ireland 26 weeks (6½ months) 0 16 (4 months) weeks that can be shared with father 16 (4 months) 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 112 days, 100% 10 calendar days
Liechtenstein 8 weeks 80%
Luxembourg 16 weeks 100%
Malta 15 weeks 100%
Netherlands 16 weeks 100% 2 days 100% 13 weeks 100% 13 weeks 100% For unpaid leave you have to have worked for an employer for over 1 year. Unpaid leave for children under 8.
Norway 54 weeks (12.5 months) (80%) or 44 weeks (10 months) (100%) - mother must take at least 3 weeks immediately before birth and 6 weeks immediately after birth, father must take at least 6 weeks - the rest can be shared between mother and father. 45 weeks (10.5 months) (80%) or 35 weeks (8 months) (100%) shared with mother - father must take a minimum of 6 weeks or else these weeks are lost as paid leave. Each parent can also take an extra full year of unpaid leave after the paid period ends Two weeks after birth (many fathers are paid for these weeks by their employers) plus right to take up to one year unpaid leave To gain the right of paid leave, the parent must have worked for 6 of the last 10 months before birth, or the leave is unpaid (except for a lump sum benefit from the government)
Poland 16–18 weeks 100%
Portugal 120 days 100% or 150 days 80% 15 days 100% Five days plus two weeks. Of the maternity leave, 6 weeks is compulsory. The father may take the rest of the time the mother would have been entitled to.
Romania 126 days 85% Five days
Russia 140 days 100%
Slovenia 12 months 100% 11 days
Spain 16 weeks 100% 15 days (in the next years 30 days), independently of the mother. Up to 15 days of the mother's leave can be taken by the father (if the father takes all 15 days, the mother only has 97 days to take off instead of the full 4 weeks (112 days)) Up to 3 years. 2,500 € for every baby. 100 €/month for mother that worked. No free public day-care center from 0 to 3 years old infants.
Sweden 480 days (16 months) (80% up to a ceiling the first 390 days, 90 days at flat rate) - shared with father (dedicated 60 days) 480 days (16 months) (80% up to a ceiling the first 390 days, 90 days at flat rate) - shared with mother (dedicated 60 days) + 10 working days in connection with the child's birth The first 18 months (at maximum) individually, by postponing the shared paid period. The first 18 months (at maximum) individually, by postponing the shared paid period.
Switzerland 16 weeks (100%), 8 weeks mandatory None None None Pregnant women can't be fired
Turkey 16 weeks 66.7% Three days paternity leave in the public sector
Ukraine 126 days 100%
United Kingdom 39 weeks (6 weeks at 90% of full pay and the next 33 weeks at a flat rate (as of 2007 = £112.75) or 90% of your salary if that is less than the flat rate) 2 weeks at a fixed amount (as of March 2006 = £112.75) 52 weeks 0 If a person has worked for their current employer for 26 weeks or more before the 15th week before the due date (and received a salary that is higher than a fixed minimum), they can claim Statutory Maternity Pay. This typically means that the child can not have been conceived before the mother starts a new job. They must give the employer notice before the 15th week before the child is due. People not eligible for Statutory Maternity Pay may be able to receive Maternity Allowance (for example if they have changed jobs while pregnant, are unemployed or self employed, or earn less than a fixed minimum, but they must have been working for 26 of the 66 weeks ending the week before the pregnancy and for 13 of those weeks they must have earned more than 30 pounds per week). People unable to receive either of these benefits may be able to receive other benefits, such as incapacity benefit. Maternity leave can be started up to 11 weeks before the due date. If a woman has a pregnancy-related illness in the last 4 weeks of her pregnancy, her employer can request that her maternity leave begins then, even if she is only off sick for one day. A mother may not start working again for 2 weeks (or 4 weeks if she works in a factory) after the child's birth.10 Both parents can have an additional 13 weeks unpaid overall (maximum of 4 weeks per year) if they have worked for an employer for over 1 year for a child under 6.

International organizations

As international organizations are not subject to the legislation of any country, they have their own internal legislation on parental leave.

Organization Paid maternity leave Paid paternity leave Unpaid maternity leave Unpaid paternity leave Restrictions
United Nations11 16 weeks 100% (however, no fewer than 10 weeks must be after delivery, even if the pre-delivery leave was longer due to a late birth) 4 weeks 100% (or 8 weeks for staff members serving at locations where they are not allowed to live with their family) The fact that a staff member is or will be on parental leave cannot be a factor in deciding contract renewal. To ensure that this is enforced, if a contract ends while the staff member is on parental leave, the contract must be extended to cover the duration of such leave.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b Department of Business Enterprise & Regulation (2007)(ed.): Internal Review of Leave Policies and Related Research 2007, in: Employment Relations Research Series No. 80, p. 96, URL: http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file40677.pdf
  2. ^ Moms Rising
  3. ^ European table from http://ec.europa.eu/eures/home.jsp?lang=en (taken from this page in February 2006) and http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4837422.stm (March 2006).
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ Information on Icelandic parental leave from http://www.althingi.is/lagas/132a/2000095.html
  7. ^ Information on Swedish parental leave from http://www.forsakringskassan.se/
  8. ^ Updated September 2008, from http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/indwm/ww2005/tab5c.htm
  9. ^ [1], accessed 06-22-2007.
  10. ^ The previous information is taken from http://www.tuc.org.uk/tuc/maternity.pdf and http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/index.htm
  11. ^ "UN legislation on maternity and paternity leave".

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