As companies navigate a new world of benefits for their employees, maternity and paternity benefits have been brought into the spotlight. Family-friendly policies are crucial for the bulk of the workforce and promote a positive work/life balance for employees.
How is Parental Leave Different in Different Countries?
Parental leave is structured differently across not only states but also countries; however, in most cases, mothers are given a greater amount of leave than fathers.
Perhaps the longest parental leave is found in Sweden, where new parents are given 480 days of paid parental leave when a child is either born or adopted. Each parent is entitled to half of the leave, giving both the mother and father an equal 240 days (Source: Swedish Government).
Another nation with stellar parental leave is Estonia, which offers mothers 84 weeks with full pay.
By stark contrast, mothers in the UK are only eligible for six weeks of paid maternity leave (at 90% of their current wage rate). Cypress, Belgium, Switzerland, New Zealand, and Australia also have low paid leave allowances for new mothers, ranging from seven to 13 weeks. Here, in the United States, paid leave is not mandated nationally (Source: PEO Worldwide).
What about paternity leave?
Unicef reported in 2019 that the most generous countries for paternity leave are Japan, South Korea, and Portugal. It was also reported that while paternity leave is typically shorter, it does typically pay a higher rate.
In Japan, fathers receive 30 weeks, but reportedly, in 2017, only 5 percent of new fathers took advantage of the full amount.
What should I expect for parental leave in the US?
The US is the only high-income country that does not offer any paid parental leave on a national level. California, New Jersey, Rhode Island, New York, Washington, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Oregon have adopted state-specific plans, however.
With that said, employers are creating maternity and paternity plans as part of their benefits packages to attract and retain talent. Companies leading the charge here include Spotify, which offers six months of paid leave, and Twitter, which offers 20 weeks of paid leave (Source: PEO Worldwide).
A PEO Can Assist in Creating Appropriate Benefit Packages
EPS offers a comprehensive platform that can significantly expand the benefits options you can make available to your employees.
EPS offers unbeatable support backed by an unparalleled team of experienced specialists to assist with your PEO needs. If you are looking for a PEO, give us a call today.