Empowering Working Mothers: A Deep Dive into Greece's Progressive Maternity Leave Laws

?Maternity leave is a fundamental right that recognizes the importance of supporting working mothers during a critical period of their lives. This not only contributes to the welfare of mothers and children, but also plays an important role in promoting gender equality and work-life balance in society. Each country has its own maternity leave laws and regulations, covering aspects such as duration, pay, qualifications and protection from dismissal. In this article, we will look at maternity leave laws in Greece, a member state of the European Union.

?The Greek legal framework focuses on the protection of the family, maternity, and childhood, in accordance with Article 21 of the Greek Constitution (Douka & Koniaris, 2020). Furthermore, the Greek Civil Code establishes the obligation of employers to respect the person and dignity of their employees and ensure a safe and healthy working environment (Article 281) (Kornelakis & Voskeritsian, 2014).

?One of the most important aspects of maternity leave in Greece is? that female workers are given long maternity leave. Under Greek law, female workers are entitled to 17 weeks of maternity leave, divided into two periods. The first 8 weeks will be taken before her due date and then 9 weeks after delivery. This leave may be extended for an additional two weeks, taking into account special circumstances that may arise, in case of multiple births or premature birth. In addition to regular maternity leave, Greek workers have the opportunity to reduce their daily working hours during the first stages of their child's life. This reduction can be up to one hour per day for the first 30 months of your child's life. Alternatively, a working mother may choose her 30 minutes discount per day for the first year and then her 1 hour discount for the next 6 months. In addition, parents are entitled to six months of parental leave, which can be extended by one month in the case of multiple births or premature births. However, please note that the total period of parental leave may not exceed 7 months per child.? Payment of allowances during maternity leave.

Financial support during maternity leave is the basis of these measures. Female workers in Greece are entitled to full pay during maternity leave. This financial support is jointly borne by the Social Insurance Fund (IKA) and the employer (Douka, V.S. and Koniaris, V.T., 2020).

?The employer is responsible for paying her wages for the first 25 days of maternity leave and IKA is responsible for the remaining period. The? amount paid will be calculated based on the average daily wage for the past two months before the start of maternity leave. It is important to note that this payment is subject to social security contributions and personal income tax deductions. In addition, Greek female workers will receive a one-time payment of €800 from? IKA upon childbirth, providing additional financial support during this critical period.

?In Greece, eligibility criteria for maternity leave are clearly defined by law. Employees who have worked for the same employer for at least two months or at least 200 days for any employer in the past two years are eligible (Papadopoulos, N.A., 2019). To take maternity leave, an employee must notify the employer in writing at least two months in advance of the expected date of childbirth and the scheduled start of maternity leave. Further documentation is required for a smooth and well-coordinated process. At least one month before the start of the leave, the employee must submit a medical certificate confirming the pregnancy and expected birth date to the employer and IKA (Vassardanis, I. and Katsarou, G., 2022).

?One of the most notable aspects of maternity leave in Greece is the comprehensive protection offered to female workers. Greek law explicitly provides that female employees are protected from dismissal not only during? maternity leave but also during parental leave. This protection applies for? 12 months after your leave ends. Employers are expressly prohibited from terminating an employee's employment contract because of pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding, unless there is a material reason unrelated to these conditions. If an employer seeks to terminate an employee's employment contract? during maternity leave or within the? 12-month protection period, the burden of proof is on the employer. A valid and justifiable reason for dismissal must be submitted to the? court. On the other hand, female employees have a legal right to challenge their dismissal. If the court determines that the dismissal was unlawful, the employee is entitled to reinstatement and compensation,? reinforcing the strong protections provided by Greek law.

?Consider the case of Maria, a dedicated employee working in Greece. Maria gave her employer two months' notice of her intention to go on maternity leave on August 1, 2023, as required by law. She gave birth to a healthy baby boy on August 15, 2023 and immediately went on maternity leave. During this time, Maria will have her first 25 days covered by her employer? and the remaining days seamlessly covered by her IKA to ensure her financial stability during this critical period of her life. I received full salary support.?

?Maria's case highlights the effectiveness of Greece's comprehensive maternity leave policy in protecting the rights and well-being of working mothers. It highlights how these measures contribute to promoting a more just society by helping women balance their professional and personal lives. Greece's combination of financial support, job security and flexible parental leave options allows women like Maria to face the challenges of motherhood with confidence.

In conclusion, Greece's progressive maternity leave laws set a remarkable example of how a well-crafted legal framework can empower working mothers while nurturing family values and gender equality. These laws not only prioritize the well-being of mothers and children but also contribute to achieving a harmonious work-life balance within society..

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Reference list:

Douka, V.S. and Koniaris, V.T., 2020.?Labour Law in Greece. Kluwer Law International BV.

Kornelakis, A. and Voskeritsian, H. 2014. The Transformation of Employment Regulation in Greece: Towards a Dysfunctional Liberal Market Economy??Articles, 69(2), pp.344–365. doi:https://doi.org/10.7202/1025032ar.

Papadopoulos, N.A. 2019.?Labor Law Reforms in Greece During the Eurozone Crisis: Here to Stay??[online] Ssrn.com. Available at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3317076 [Accessed 29 Sep. 2023].

Vassardanis, I. and Katsarou, G., 2022. Applying FIDIC Contracts in Greece. In?FIDIC Contracts in Europe?(pp. 320-358). Informa Law from Routledge.

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