France extends paternity leave from 14 to 28 days from now
Good news in France for dads. As of this July 1, parental leave will be doubled: it is extended from 14 to 28 days. An expected reform that was announced last September by President Emmanuel Macron and that comes into force today. The president said at the time that it is a measure "towards equality between men and women."
The first three days of sick leave will be paid by the employer and the following 25 days will be compensated by Social Security. An additional seven days will be added in the event of a multiple birth.
That leave will include seven mandatory days for new parents. Currently, optional paternity leave is taken by seven out of ten parents, according to BFM. The data shows that behind this decision there are great social inequalities: 80% are employees with indefinite contracts, compared to 60% who do not have those conditions.
With this reform, the measure, in addition to being longer, seeks to be more flexible. Parents have the option of dividing their days into "two periods of at least five days each," according to Le Figaro. However, leave days must be taken within the first six months after the baby is born.
The worker is also required to inform his employer one month before the expected date of birth, so that the latter can organize himself.
The extension of paternity leave was approved by the National Assembly on October 23. Adrien Taquet, responsible for the Protection of Children, expressed then that the measure represents a "historical occasion" since since 2002 there had been no extension in that paternity leave.
The measure will be financed by Social Security at an estimated cost of around 500 million euros in one year.
