Family Leave Reform 2022 – what does it mean?

News 28.7.2022

What is new in the Family Leave Reform 2022? The Family Leave Reform entered into force on 1.8.2022 and applies, as a rule, to those families where the child´s due date is 4.9.2022 or later. The aim of the reform is to increase the distribution of parental leave and care responsibility more evenly between both parents and to increase equal treatment of different family forms in the parental allowance system. Read more about what changes!

The Family Leave Reform applies to families where the child´s due date is 4.9.2022 or later

With the reform, the parents of all children, who act as guardians of the child, will have an equal right to parental allowances regardless of the gender of the parent, or whether they are biological or adoptive parents or immediate or remote parents.

Parental allowances under the old law are paid if the child’s due date is before 4.9.2022 or the child is born prematurely on 29.7.2022 or earlier.

More information about family leave reform on Kela’s website

What is new in the Family Leave Reform 2022?

With the reform, maternity leave becomes pregnancy leave. Pregnancy leave (40 days) is continuous and should be started 14-30 days before the due date.

An increased parental leave allowance (90% of earnings) is paid during the period of pregnancy leave. The pregnant parent therefore has 40 pregnancy allowance days before the parental leave.
Paternity leave as such is being abolished, and replaced by shared parental leave. Each parent receives their own quota of 160 parental allowance days, 63 days of which it is possible to give up to the other parent, other guardian, spouse, or the other parent’s spouse.

From the first 16 days of the parental leave period, the parental allowance is paid to all those taking parental leave at an increased rate (90% of earnings).

Remember:

A prerequisite for obtaining parental leave is for a person on leave to care for the child.
Furthermore, a person on leave cannot be at the same time gainfully employed, have other employment, be on statutory annual leave, or on other paid leave.
Other paid leave does not apply to pregnancy, special pregnancy, or parental leave for which the employer pays the employee, but the parental allowance is paid to the employer paying the wage.
Parental allowance is a generic term for allowances for family leave.
The employee shall notify the employer of the intended family leave two months before the start of the leave. In case the duration of the leave is no more than 12 working days, however, the period of notification is one month.