Parental leave

Parental Leave

General:

Parental leave gives both male and female employees the opportunity to dedicate themselves to their child without losing touch with their job. During parental leave, employees are legally entitled to work part time. Employees can claim parental leave until their child turns three. Parental leave is considered separately for each parent.

Requirements:

  • The entitled party lives with the child in one household.
  • The entitled party is the main caregiver.
  • The entitled party does not work more than 32 hours a week during the parental leave.

Procedure:

  • The parental leave can be shared and either taken individually by one parent or jointly by both.
  • Parental leave for mothers begins at the earliest on the first day after maternity leave ends. The maternity protection period does not affect the limitation of the period of parental leave to the child’s third birthday.
  • For fathers, parental leave begins at the earliest the day after the child is born.
  • Parental leave may also be distributed over three periods of time for each parent.
  • One part of the parental leave amounting to 24 months or less may also be transferred to the time before the child turns eight, provided the employer grants their consent.

Working during parental leave:

  • Parents may work during parental leave provided the agreed weekly working hours are reduced for at least two months for each parent to between 15 and 32 hours.
  • You must obtain the consent of your employer if you wish to work part-time for another employer or on a freelance basis.

Application for parental leave: