Paternal Leave

As of February 2018, new fathers will be entitled to a new welfare payment within the context of sick-leave insurance

On 2 May 2017, the president signed an amendment bill to the sick-leave insurance act into law which introduces a new welfare payment, funded out of sick-leave insurance, for newly-minted daddies. This will allow them to take time off to assist the mother of their new offspring during childbed.

Today, fathers who wish to take „maternal“ and parental leave can do so only instead of the mother, whereas under the new rules, both parents could care for the baby side by side for up to seven days. What is more, going on this special form of paternal leave does not have to be cleared by the employer, unlike taking vacation or unpaid leave.

Eligible for the new benefit of paternal leave will be individual who are enrolled in the sick-leave insurance system (i.e., in particular, employees, and those self-employed individuals who participate in sick-leave insurance on a voluntary basis). The amount of this benefit will be the same as that known as „financial support during maternity“, i.e., 70 percent of the curtailed daily assessment base.

Under the amendment, parents who wish to take advantage of this benefit must embark on the week-long paternal leave within six weeks from the date of birth of their child, without suspension or interruption, i.e., the benefit must be drawn continuously over one period.

The claim for the new benefit also arises if the child was born at any point during six weeks from the day on which the amendment came into force (which is currently envisioned to take place in February 2018).

Source: Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs

 

 

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