Proposed amendments to the Labor Code would introduce paternity leave for the first time and increase the existing maternity leave entitlement. New fathers would be entitled to 16 workdays of paid paternity leave, and maternity leave would increase from 12 to 18 weeks. Currently, employers are not required to provide paternity leave, and maternity leave benefits are provided by social security at 66% of pay, with employers being required to top up the benefit to 100% of pay. The amendments were preliminarily approved in March 2023, 12 months after the legislation was first introduced to the parliament; further debate is expected before the final legislation is approved and takes effect.
The proposed changes to the Labor Code include:
The changes are intended to incentivize fathers to get involved in caring responsibilities before and after childbirth. In practice, employers typically do not provide enhanced family leave benefits. Only a handful of companies surveyed (14%) provide maternity leave benefits above the statutory requirements, topping up the benefit to 100% of pay for up to 16 weeks (at the median). Employer-paid paternity leave is slightly more common (25%) among companies surveyed, providing a median benefit equal to eight days of leave at 100% of pay. Employers should monitor the progress of the proposed changes and start reviewing their family leave policies.