9 weeks of partially paid parental leave

Whether it is the first child born or the fourth, birth is always a special event. But the birth of a child brings a lot of change: changing diapers, waking up at night and making the house baby-proof. You do it (usually) with great pleasure. Currently, the mother has at least 16 weeks of maternity leave and, since July 2020, the partner has 5 weeks of paid parental leave in the first 6 months after the birth to find a new work-life balance. In addition, parents have another 26 weeks of parental leave that they can take in the first 8 years of their child's life. This leave is basically unpaid, but that is about to change.

9 weeks of partially paid parental leave

From August 2022, there will be some changes in parental leave. Now, parents can take 26 weeks of unpaid parental leave in the first 8 years of their child's life unless other arrangements have been made within the organization or in the collective bargaining agreement. Not everyone can afford this unpaid leave. Therefore, the Dutch government has decided to start paying for the first nine of the 26 weeks. This will allow parents to receive benefits from the UWV. This will be for 50% of their own daily wage up to 50% of the maximum daily wage.

Inclusion in the first year of life

One important requirement did come with partially paid parental leave: the nine weeks paid must be taken during the child's first year of life. If not, these weeks are added to the 17 remaining weeks. These can then still be taken in the first eight years, but are unpaid (unless other arrangements have been made). This gives families more time to get used to the new situation.

Want to learn more about parental leave or how to balance your work and personal life? At paraDIGMA groep , we have several labels that can help you with these issues. For example, the Labor and Health Advisor from The Occupational Health and Safety Service can help you apply this new regulation.