The European Parliament has adopted also in the same directive introducing 2 months of paid Parental Leave for both parents. In addition organisations have also company specifics regarding Special Leave. Please note that it is a government requirement that you must take pregnancy leave – meaning you must stop working – four weeks before the due date. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. This will give the benefits agency UVW and the tax office time to enforce the policy on time. Currently, parents are entitled to 26 weeks of unpaid leave during the first eight years of a child’s life. However, according to her needs, a woman can decide to bifurcate the leave as before and after childbirth. Each individual European Union country will be allowed to set the minimum pay level allowed for these periods. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. The European Parliament this week passed new legislation to expand paternal leave after the birth of a child and paid parental leave, and though The Netherlands opposed European interference in what it sees as a national issue, the country will definitely comply with the rules when adopted, confirmed Social Affairs Minister Wouter Koolmees. With an exciting journey to embark on, relax, and take this time to welcome the newest member of your family. he new rules, including a minimum of five paid days off to take care of an seriously ill relative, are meant to promote gender equality across Europe. Most companies pay up to 100% of the employee’s regular salary yet can reduce the percentage as per their rules. Then there is also parental leave (ouderschapsverlof), where both parents are entitled to take 26 times their working hours. Illness: parental leave is not suspended in case of illness or incapacity for work. All Leaves of Absence types in The Netherlands. Expecting employees are entitled to receive a whole or major percentage of their income for the duration of their leaves. This day off is commonly called the Daddy Day (Papa dag). This 5 weeks’ Paternity Leave is in addition to the current ruling WIEG [Wet Invoering Extra Geboorteverlof] entered into force per 1 January 2019. For this reason, new parents are to be given more paid parental leave from 2022. Duration of the parental leave The first 4-6 weeks can be reserved before the due date and the rest can be taken after the delivery. For instance, SalesForce offers 80% of the original salary to their female employees for their entire duration of the leave, including the UWV allowance. Many fathers in the Netherlands choose to take this leave as a single day a week, reducing working hours to a 4-day week. From August 2022, paid parental leave in the Netherlands will extended by nine weeks to a total of 15 weeks, which must be taken in the first year of a child's life. This can be extended to 12 weeks if the child is born premature or multiple babies born. This time can be distributed in different ways and can be taken until the child turns 8. Additionally, each parent in Europe will then has the right to four months of parental leave, of which two are non-transferable and at least six weeks are paid. Before you head to the polling booth on 15 March, interact with the politieksekswijzer (available in Dutch), or check out the Feminist Club Amsterdam’s advice (in Dutch and English). However, you must apply three weeks prior to the date of adoption. It helps us to understand your interests and enhance the site. Those who take unpaid paternity leave in the first six months of the birth of the child can claim a Supplementary Maternity Allowance (paternity allowance) from the UWV if they fulfill the required conditions. By starting small and involving the people around you, you’ll find out soon that it helps to make a national case for paternity leave rights. For a working couple having minimal knowledge of the government obligations involved, it’s always advised to know what to expect. Employees having children up to eight years of age are entitled to unpaid parental leave (ouderschapsverlof) which they can avail for up to 26 times their working hours. The employee will receive the same payment as during parental leave. However, many people cannot afford to take the unpaid leave, with just a third of parents taking advantage of the scheme. Annually Rutgers receives support from the Dutch Postcode Lottery and its participants, Knowledge File Comprehensive Sexuality Education, Knowledge File Gender Transformative Approaches, Knowledge File Sexual and gender based violence, “MenCare Parental Leave Platform: 10 ways to leave gender inequality behind and give our children the care they need”. PDF | On Jun 1, 2009, Janneke Plantenga and others published Parental Leave in the Netherlands | Find, read and cite all the research you need on ResearchGate During this time, the UWV will pay 50% of the employee’s daily wages. Parental leave, a legal right in The Netherlands 10 February 2015 / in Human resources , News , Payroll / by HUKL-nh In The Netherlands, parental leave makes it possible for an employee to temporarily work less in order to care for his or her child or children. They are eligible as soon as they start working for you. Paid leave on the adoption or fostering of a child increases to six weeks from four. For parents availing parental leave, as of today, their employers are not obliged to pay their salary unless stated in the employment contract or the collective labour agreement (Collectieve Arbeidsovereenkomst or CAO). These entitlements also apply to people adopting a child and to families with more than one child. Starting a family can be an overwhelming experience. Contrary to popular opinion, this topic does not concern only men. Generally, expectant and new mothers are allotted 14-18 weeks of combined paid pregnancy and maternity leave. This day off is commonly called the Daddy Day (Papa dag). After paternity leave in the Netherlands: parental leave. Contact Ilze Smit, Rutgers Project Leader, Parents & Income. Unfortunately, the government does not offer paternity leave in the same area. However, from the 1st of August 2022, the government will be paying the first nine weeks of parental leave, provided the parents utilize those nine weeks until the first birthday of their child. It is up to the country to determine the compensation for Parental Leave, but it is required to be aligned at an “adequate level”. Both parents are entitled to unpaid parental leave. Another type of family leave in the Netherlands is parental leave. The employee is entitled to parental leave of, at most, 26x the length of his working week. Sometimes, in the fight for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), we forget to look in our own backyard. A woeful ranking indeed, which departs from the perceived picture of the Netherlands: a progressive country and among the world’s staunchest allies on gender equality. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. For example, ING provides six weeks of paid paternity leave with an extra sabbatical of three months. 14:00, 24 If a woman is delivering multiple babies, she can avail a minimum of 20 weeks’ leave. Start a dialogue on paternity leave with your family, friends, community or at the work place. They may choose to take this leave all at once. In addition to the customary span provided by the government, some companies choose to extend their employees’ leave duration. Employees with children aged up to 8 can take unpaid parental leave in the Netherlands. For this reason, new parents are to be given more paid parental leave from 2022. From August 2022, paid parental leave in the Netherlands will extended by nine weeks to a total of 15 weeks, which must be taken in the first year of a child's life. Both parents are eligible for parental leave from the moment they start working for their employers. Self-employed professionals are also entitled to maternity allowance from the UWV. Salary during parental leave We will keep you informed of the actual effective date. The current Dutch cabinet pushed through legislation to expand partners' leave to five fully paid days in 2018, a law which took effect in January. Conditions In case a couple is looking to adopt, the government grants six weeks of leave for the same, which both the parents are entitled to. Yet the fine print is often overlooked. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. To help expecting couples get comfortable with the transition, the not-for-profit organization ACCESS offers Childbirth Preparation Courses. 10:00, 18 We hope the above is useful for you. The government is expected to present a bill to the House of Representatives in the first quarter of 2020. Parental leave. Self-employed professionals and freelancers are entitled to 16 weeks of paid maternity leave in the Netherlands. For many years, we have been working to improve the sexual and reproductive health and rights in the Netherlands, and in Europe, Asia, and Africa and Latin America.