Various changes to family-friendly leave rights

The Act on Employees’ Entitlement to Absence from work for Special Family reasons

The Act on Employees’ Entitlement to Absence from Work for Special Family Reasons has been amended so that from 2 August 2022, employees will be entitled to 5 additional days of leave each year when providing personal care or support to a relative, or to a person who lives in the same household as the worker, and who needs significant care or support for a serious medical reason. However, during the period of 2 August 2022 to 31 December 2022, the employees’ days of leave will be reduced to 2 days.

The Act on Maternity / Paternity leave:

From 1 January 2023, parents who have triplets or more children at the same birth are entitled to an additional 26 weeks of leave. However, these 26 weeks of additional leave must be taken within the 18 months after the birth.

From 1 January 2024, solo parents may transfer leave to a close family member, and legal parents may transfer a part of their leave to the child’s social parents. According to the amendments to the Act on Equal Treatment Between Men and Women, close family members and social parents – who take leave according to the Act on Maternity / Paternity leave – will be entitled to the same employment protection as parents. Therefore, the employer of the close family members / social parents may not terminate or give a less favourable treatment on the basis of absence under the Act on Maternity / Paternity Leave, which a close family member or a social parent requests or holds.