Longer parental leave agreed by EU ministers
EU ministers have
approved an amended Parental Leave Directive following the adoption of the
Framework Agreement on improved parental leave rights, signed by the European
social partners earlier this year which will provide a range of increased
entitlements, including a minimum of four months’ leave as opposed to the
current three months.
Following the
adoption of a Framework Agreement on parental leave by the European social
partners (BUSINESSEUROPE, ETUC, CEEP and UEAPME) in June this year, EU
ministers have approved the Amended Parental Leave Directive which contains all
the improved rights agreed by the Social Partners. The main changes in the new,
amended Directive are:
- Each parent will be able to take four
months off per child (previously three months). The extra month cannot be
transferred from one parent to the other, thereby encouraging fathers to take
their leave. - An employee applying for or taking
parental leave will be protected from any less favourable treatment for doing
so. - Employees returning from parental leave
will have the right to request changes to their working hours for a limited
period.
The new Directive
will be formally adopted in the coming months. Member States will then have two
years to transpose the new rights into national law.
The improved right to
4 months’ leave will require an amendment to UK legislation since leave for a
parent of a child who is not disabled is 13 weeks (those with a child entitled
to receive disability living allowance are entitled to 18 weeks).
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