Duration, Value & long run, Impact of Maternal/Paternal/Parental leaves Across the Globe
Nusrat Sultana C.
Author of a Weekly, Newsletter, "PeaceofMind&Soul" on LinkedIn. For the new role, website is under update & shall be ongoing for some while
Parental Leave: In many modern workplaces, the concept of maternity leave has expanded to include parental leave, which can be taken by both mothers and fathers, or other caregivers, to bond with and care for a new child.
Maternity leave refers to a period of time that a pregnant individual or new mother takes off from work to recover from childbirth, bond with their newborn, and ensure the well-being of both the mother and the baby. It is a form of paid or unpaid leave provided by employers or mandated by government regulations to support the health and family needs of employees during the transition to parenthood.
Maternity leave typically covers the period immediately before and after childbirth. The specific duration and benefits of maternity leave vary widely depending on the country, company policies, and local labour laws. In some regions, maternity leave is regulated by law, ensuring that new mothers have the opportunity to take time off work without the risk of losing their job.
Paternal leave, also known as paternity leave, is a period of time that a new father or a secondary caregiver takes off from work to care for and bond with a newborn child, support the mother, and fulfill family responsibilities. Similar to maternity leave, paternal leave is intended to provide employees with the opportunity to be present during the early stages of their child's life without the fear of losing their job or income. [2]
Let us first have a look at the duration of the parental leave, in a few countries, as below:
1.Pakistan
1.1 Pakistan approves Maternity and Paternity Leave Bill 2023“Pakistan President Arif Alvi on Tuesday, June 20,2023 approved the Maternity and Paternity Leave Bill, 2023 to enact it as a law, allowing woman employees up to 180 leaves during pregnancy and men 30 30 days thrice during their employment tenure.Under the bill, the women employees of the public and private departments under the administrative control of the federal government will be entitled to avail maternity leave with full pay three times during service – 180 days for the first time, 120 days for the second time, and 90 days for the third time. According to the new law, male workers will be entitled to apply for paternity leaves for 30 days three times throughout their employment period.In case of a violation of the law, employers can be subjected to imprisonment for up to 6 months and a fine of up to Rs100,000 ($348), or both. [3]
2. India
Maternity leave is a work-sanctioned period of absence that working women can utilise before and/or after they deliver a child. The Maternity Benefit Act of 1961 lays down the rules and regulations that concern maternity leave in India. In this Maternity Act, women who are eligible to take a maternity leave and who work at recognized organisations and factories can apply for maternity leave for up to 6 months. Women employees can take their maternity leave either before or after they deliver their child. Their maternity leave can also span a period before and after their delivery as well. During this leave period, the woman's employer is required to pay the woman employee her salary in its entirety.In addition to the standard maternity leave rules in India, employers can provide further maternity leave as a benefit to their women employees. The Maternity Benefit Act has been updated several times to safeguard and protect the interests of their women employees. This Act was updated as recently as 2017, and covers work from home or hybrid work models, in addition to allowing new mothers additional paid days off.?The Maternity Benefit Act in India supports women before and after the birth of their child. It safeguards and protects their interests and livelihood, and allows them to nurture their newborns while taking care of themselves." [4] For a more legal aspect please visit the link [5] The purpose of paternity leave is to encourage fathers' engagement in childcare and parenting while also offering them the chance to develop a close relationship with their kid during this critical period of the child's life. Paternity leave after a child's birth is not as common in India as it is in some other nations. [6]
3. Bangladesh
Maternity benefits in Bangladesh are regulated by the Bangladesh Labor Act, 2006 (subsequently replaced as Bangladesh Labor Act, 2013[amended]) sections 45 to 50 under Chapter IV called Maternity Benefit. According to section 46 of the law, working mothers are to be allotted 4 months of maternity leave, 8 weeks of prenatal leave and 8 weeks of postnatal leave. This law has been implemented unevenly in Bangladesh resulting in disparate practices in different industry sectors. For example, public sector employees are granted 6 months of maternity leave. In 2012, the Ministry of Education issued orders to non-government educational institutions to provide six months of maternity leave, which was implemented immediately. In the same year, The Bangladesh Bank also asked government-run and privately owned banks and other financial institutions to extend maternity leave to six months. [7]
In Bangladesh, however, there is no statutory paternity leave policy for the private sector, which is where the majority of the workforce is employed. The government has not yet introduced any national policy on paternity leave, unfortunately. Some companies do offer paternity leave, but it is typically only for a few days and is not legally mandated.?[8]
4. United States of America
USA Paid Parental Leave: Summary of Paid Parental Leave
The Federal Employee Paid Leave Act (FEPLA) makes paid parental leave available to?Federal employees covered under Title 5 following in connection with a qualifying birth of a son or daughter or the placement of a son or daughter with an employee for adoption or foster care.?As a result, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provisions were amended in Title 5, United States Code (U.S.C.) to provide up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave to covered Federal employees in connection with the birth or placement (for adoption or foster care) of a child occurring on or after October 1, 2020. ?
Paid parental leave granted in connection with a qualifying birth or placement under FEPLA is substituted for unpaid FMLA leave and is available during the 12-month period following the birth or placement. ?In order to be eligible for paid parental leave under FEPLA, a Federal employee must be eligible for FMLA leave under 5 U.S.C. 6382(a)(1)(A) or (B), and must meet FMLA eligibility requirements. ?
Paid parental leave under FEPLA is limited to 12 work weeks and may be used during the 12-month period beginning on the date of the birth or placement involved. ?Within these 12 work weeks, paid parental leave is available as long as an employee has a continuing parental role with the child whose birth or placement was the basis for the leave entitlement. ?
Under FEPLA, an employee may not use any paid parental leave unless the employee agrees in writing, before commencement of the leave, to subsequently work for the applicable employing agency for at least 12 weeks. ?This 12-week work obligation begins on the employee’s first scheduled workday after such paid parental leave concludes.
Detailed guidance on DOL’s paid parental leave application process is made available for DOL employees upon entry to the Department. [9]
5. Germany
5.1 Parental Leave (Elternzeit)
Can I go on parental leave?
You can go on parental leave, when
You are considered to be an employee when you are employed by a company, organization or government agency. The parental leave regulations also apply to people who work part-time, have a mini-job and those who are currently undergoing vocational training or further education. However, the self-employed, unemployed, housewives and house-husbands, pupils in school and university students cannot go on parental leave.?Please note: There are special regulations for civil servants, judges and soldiers. For more information, seek advice from your human resources' department or welfare service.
Parental leave regulations apply to both your biological child and the biological child of your partner, as well as your foster children and adopted children. In exceptional cases, you can also take parental leave for your grandchild or your nieces and nephews. But doing so is only possible if the child's parents cannot take care of him/her themselves.
Important: Of course, you can still have your childcare, by a Daycare Centre or a baby minder during parental leave. To learn more about childcare, visit our chapter "Kita".
?When and for how long can I go on parental leave?
Each parent can take up to THREE YEARS of parental leave PER CHILD. In the case of the mother, however, this three-years-long parental leave includes the legally prescribed, six-weeks-long after-birth maternity leave during which the mother has to stay home.
Fathers can start parental leave (the earliest) at the childbirth, and mothers can start theirs after the end of their (six-weeks-long) maternity leave. Both parents have to take at least a part of their parental leave before the child's 3rd birthday, and they need to conclude it before the child's 8th birthday. Apart from that, as a parent, you can freely choose the beginning and the end of your parental leave. You and your partner do not have to both go on parental leave - only one parent may go on parental leave if you prefer so.
5.2 Parental Allowance (Elterngeld)
Update 29.03.2023
?5.2.1 How does the German state support families?
?Childcare is a prominent concern for any parent with young children. And it is not always easy to reconcile work and family. In Germany, the estate provides so-called "Elterngeld" to support young families. "Elterngeld" or parental allowance serves as financial compensation for parents who temporarily have a lower capacity for work or cannot work at all as they care for their children. Parents who did not work before childbirth can also apply for a parental allowance. [10]
?6. United Kingdom
Statutory Maternity Leave If you are employed and pregnant, you are entitled to?52 weeks (1 YEAR)?of maternity leave, no matter how long you've worked for your employer. This is made up of 26 weeks of ordinary maternity leave and 26 weeks of additional maternity leave. [11]
6.1 Paternity leave
You can choose to take either 1 or 2 weeks. You get the same amount of leave if your partner has a multiple birth (such as twins).
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You must take your leave in one go. A week is the same amount of days that you normally work in a week - for example, a week is 2 days if you only work on Mondays and Tuesdays. [12]
7. Australia
Maternity leave is formally known as parental leave. It gives you the right to take time off work if you are having or adopting a child.
You can take maternity or?paternity leave?when:
Most?Awards?and?enterprise agreements?offer maternity leave. This leave is often unpaid, however some awards and agreements also offer paid maternity leave. You may also be able to access the government’s?Paid Parental Leave Scheme?and other types of leave related to having or adopting a child. Maternity leave became standard in 1971 after?a?long union campaign. Now known as parental leave, the union movement also helped to secure parental leave for casuals in 2001. Our movement continues to?campaign to protect and extend?the rights of employees who are having or adopting a child.
7.1 Unpaid Maternity Leave
If you are a permanent?full-time?or?part-time?employee, you are entitled to 12 months of unpaid parental leave. If you need more leave than this, you can ask your employer to grant you up to another 12 months.
To take parental leave you must:
This applies to?casual employees?as well as full-timers and part-timers.
You are entitled to 12 months leave measured from the expected date of your child’s birth. If you are adopting, these 12 months are counted from when you will begin to start caring for your child.
If you are planning to have another child, you do not need to wait another 12 months before taking leave again.?
If you are planning to adopt a child, you can also take up to two weeks of unpaid pre-adoption leave. This is often needed in order to attend interviews, examinations and other appointments.
You must give your employer at least ten weeks’?notice before taking maternity leave. You must give notice in writing and indicate how much leave you intend to take including start and end dates. You should be able to adjust the date you return to work later on however.
It is illegal for your employer?to dismiss you or discriminate against you?for taking maternity leave. If you feel that you are being treated unfairly, your union will be able to help. [13]
7.2 Australian Mothers and Fathers Have Access to Government-Funded Paid Parental leave, and Have Had Since January 2011
The Paid Parental Leave scheme gives financial support to help parents take time off work to care for a?newborn?or recently?adopted?child. There are two payments available to families under the scheme. Parental Leave Pay and Dad and Partner Pay.
Parental Leave Pay is currently $740.60 per week before tax. This is based on the weekly rate of the national minimum wage. It provides eligible?working parents?with 18 weeks Parental Leave Pay at the National Minimum Wage, and can be shared between both?parents.
Working dads or partners can also access 2 weeks of financial support at the same rate under a payment called?Dad and Partner Pay?[14]
8. Recommendations & Long-Term Impact on the Upcoming Generations
As per the previous article, my inference is that a child should be sent to formal school, at the age of 8 years. Therefore, a mother, should either work remotely part time or should not work at all, till the child reaches 8 years of age. The governments should pass a law, in their parliaments, making the organizations pay per child allowance, to the fathers. In case the child say, for example is an orphan (mother or father has died), then, the governments, should provide full salary with the children allowance, to the living parent.
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Further taking the previous article forward, the school timings, should be nearby to the office timings, i.e., 8:45 am to 5:20 P.M, in coherence, with the office timings of 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, so that parents shall have no issue, in dropping & picking up the children from school. Never ever, send your children, even if they are teenagers, alone with the drivers, as there are so many abuse cases, around the world. The children, if abused by a driver, never talk about it, with their parents. I may endeavor, to write an article, on this topic, subsequently.
Sabbatical jobs should be offered to parents, who get a gap in, their professional lives, for bringing up their children & making them good human beings.
The generation brought up, in the aforementioned, manner, would be empathetic, rational, no racism, no prejudice, knowledgeable, with wisdom (education merely does not impart wisdom) with love, passion & respect for all the creations of God. Those in power are expected to be more humane, so that they shall not interfere, in the internal affairs of the other countries, but only, bring their own home in order, & let the rest of the world live, in peace & prosperity, with their own indigenous resources & independent policies.
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A generation, brought up, in the aforementioned manner, shall meet the true definition of Health, as defined in the first article.
This generation, shall possess PeaceofMind&Soul, would not attempt to commit suicide, under any circumstances. The entire Planet Earth shall be a developed world, no poverty, no corruption, no people above law. This Globe shall become a heaven for the mortal humans & all the rest of the creations, here.
Sources:
#paternalleaveshavelonglastingimpactonoffspring
#unpaidmaternityleaveiscruel
#maternalleavesshouldcompriseof8years
#thereshouldbecoherencebetweenschooltimings&officetimings
#fathermustlovethemotherofthechildren