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When it comes to maternity and paternity leave, South Africa has not kept up with the rest of the world. According to South African law, moms are entitled to four months unpaid maternity leave. During this time, you can claim from the UIF (Unemployment Insurance Fund).
For fathers, unfortunately, the time off to be spent with a new-born is even less – a mere 10 days’ unpaid parental leave.
If you’re thinking of moving abroad and starting a family the amount of parental leave you get at your chosen destination could be a factor to consider. In the UK and in some European countries there is a surge in employers offering extended parental leave.
Here we look at a few countries and what’s on offer:
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UK parental leave
According to research compiled by jobs site Indeed, the number of jobs offering generous and extended parental leave has risen by 201% in the past three years in the UK.
In the UK, Statutory Maternity Leave lasts up to 52 weeks with statutory pay covering the first 39 weeks. Statutory Paternity leave is just two weeks. But since 2015 couples have been able to share up to 50 weeks with statutory pay covering the first 39 weeks.
Employers offering generous parental leave include BMI Healthcare, offering up to 52 weeks maternity and adoption leave paid in full for the first 13 weeks. For paternity leave, it offers two weeks at full pay.
Vodafone advertised jobs offering 16 weeks of fully paid parental leave while staff meeting certain conditions at the Ministry of Defence receive 100% of their salary during the first 26 weeks of ordinary maternity leave (OML).
So how does the UK compare to the rest of Europe? According to research conducted by Reboot Digital PR the UK comes in second for the highest quality maternity leave in Europe. However, in its research it comes in at 24th overall if paternity leave is included as it offers fewer days on full pay.
Sweden
According to research conducted by Reboot Digital PR, Sweden is the best European country to become a new parent. It offers a generous 216 days of full paid maternity and paternity leave, with 240 days in total.
Iceland
Iceland comes second by offering an additional 48 days shared parental leave alongside 120 days of fully paid leave for both parents.
Finland and Spain
Finland comes in third place with 112 fully paid days for both parents and an additional 28 days of shared parental leave, while sunny Spain comes in fourth place with 80 days of fully paid leave for mothers and fathers and 80 days more shared parental leave according to Reboot Digital PR.
A long way to go for fathers
Overall, Europe could still do better when it comes to fathers. Reboot Digital PR points out that, on average, in Europe fathers receive 76% less paid leave than mothers with 26 paternity leave compared to 110 days maternity leave. With couples increasingly sharing the parental responsibilities it’s high time that mothers and fathers are offered equal benefits when it comes to maternity and paternity leave.
