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Maternity leave around the world
Find out how new moms (and dads) fare on a global scale when it comes to taking time off work to have a baby.
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Maternity leave
The other day, after seeing our bank account hovering dangerously close to zero, I began whining about how little money I’m bringing in during my one-year maternity leave. Then I talked to a new mom in the US. Her little guy was just four months old—yet she’d already been back at work for a month.
That got me wondering how much time and money parents around the world are entitled to when they have a baby. According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the average is 18 weeks of paid leave. I did a bit more digging to find out just how well Canada compares. -
Albania
Albanian moms are entitled to up to 365 days off, with 80 percent pay for the first 150 days and 50 percent for the rest.
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Australia
Down Under, either parent can apply for 18 weeks of paid leave at the national minimum wage and can take up to 52 weeks unpaid.
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Brazil
The maternity benefits might not be excelente — four months of paid leave — but employees get free childcare until their kids turn six.
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Canada
For most provinces, new moms are entitled to 15 weeks of paid maternity leave at 55 percent of your salary, capped at $485 a week. Another 35 weeks of paid parental leave can be shared with dad.
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China
The 18 million or so women who give birth in China each year can take up to 14 weeks of paid leave. It was recently bumped up from 90 days to comply with the International Labour Organization’s minimum.
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Croatia
This Balkan country gives moms up to one year off at full pay. So does another former Yugoslav republic, Serbia.
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Cuba
New madres can take 18 weeks of leave at 100 percent salary, and either parent can take an additional 40 weeks at 60 percent pay. After all, this is a nation where men and women are legally bound to share equally in household chores and the raising of children.
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France
Mais, bien sûr, French women receive full pay for 16 weeks for their first and second babies and up to 26 weeks for any children. Plus, moms are entitled to up to three years of job-protected leave with stipends for in-home nannies, subsidized childcare and generous monthly allowances. All these goodies are widely credited with bolstering France’s birthrate as other European nations watch theirs plunge.
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Italy
Ah, la sorta dolce vita. In Italy, employers are forbidden from expecting women to work during the two months before and three months after their due date, with 80 percent pay. Another six months is up for grabs — at 30 percent pay — until the child turns eight, and can be taken by either mamma or papà.
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Japan
With Japan’s birthrate well below the replacement rate and academics recently announcing that the nation’s people could be extinct within a millennium, the government might think about increasing maternity leave benefits. Moms are now entitled to 14 weeks at 60 percent of pay and up to a year unpaid, to be split between parents.
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Malaysia
Malaysia is one of fewer than 30 countries that don’t comply with the International Labour Organization’s Maternity Protection Convention, which recommends a minimum of 14 weeks of maternity leave. Malay women are entitled to just 60 days, though with 100 percent of pay.
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Monaco
The principality of Monaco has the highest number of millionaires and billionaires per capita in the world and one of the lowest birth rates. But any moms-to-be can expect eight weeks of leave before and eight weeks after the birth of a first or second child, at 90 percent of earnings. For kid number three or more, that bumps up to 18 weeks after. Dads get 12 days — including Sundays and holidays.
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Norway
The Scandinavian nation regularly ranks as one of the UN’s top places to live, and no wonder: Parents are entitled to 100 percent of pay for 46 weeks or 80 percent of pay for 56 weeks — but dads must take at least 12 weeks (referred to as the pappapermisjon, or daddy quota) or it’s lost. Ninety percent of Norwegian dads take it.
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Papua New Guinea
This largely unexplored island north of Australia, home to 830 living languages and 6.2 million people — the majority of them subsistence farmers — guarantees women 12 weeks of job protection, but zero pay.
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Russia
Women can take a total of 140 days off — 70 before the birth and 70 after, at 100 percent salary. And it’s mandatory, comrades. The child’s caregiver — including a grandparent — is entitled to a childcare allowance until the age of three.
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South Africa
Women can take up to four months at up to 60% of pay — one of the more generous African maternity allowances — and are forbidden from working for at least six weeks after birth.
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Sweden
Sweden is the paradise of parental leave. Parents are entitled to up to 480 days of leave, at 80 percent pay (up to a certain limit), and moms and dads are encouraged to split the time evenly. Låter utmärkt!
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Tanzania
Women in this east African nation are entitled to up to 84 days of paid leave every three years (100 day for multiples), and they can take up to four maternity leaves while working for the same employer. Fathers get a stingy three days.
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United Arab Emirates
The federation of seven emirates has one of the worst parental leave policies in the world, offering women just 45 days off at full pay. Over the past 30 years, the UAE’s birth rate has been cut in half. It’s now the lowest in the Gulf region.
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United States
If you’ve been employed for 12 months or more, you’re entitled to 12 weeks off, unpaid. Here’s the catch: Only companies with more than 50 employees are covered by the law, which means that more than half of American businesses are exempt. And fewer than one-fifth of U.S. companies voluntarily offer paid maternity leave.
Only Swaziland and Papua New Guinea — where the GDP per capita is $5,400 and $2,600 respectively — have such abysmal policies for new parents. Thanks, Uncle Sam. -
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Mamamiiia (not verified) says ....
Your piece is very interesting but incomplete for Canada. Your forgot to mention the very progressive program that we have in the province of Quebec. Women get 18 weeks exclusively for them at 75% of their salaries, new fathers get 5 weeks at 75% and then, both parents can share an extra 32 weeks at 55% (or less weeks at a higher rate of their regular salary). Adoptive parents gets similar benefits. For more info (it's in French) : http://www.rqap.gouv.qc.ca/travailleur_salarie/choix.asp
newmommy says ....
We are sooo lucky in Canada relative to other countries. Can't imagine going a quarter of a million in debt to have the baby (US). Yep, I am one of those darn government employees. Make good money but taxed to death like everyone else, paid almost 30,000 in income tax, then EI, CPP, Union dues. Then as we all know we are taxed on every good and service provided. Don't ge me started on the price of gas. Maybe if mom's had more time wth their kids then I wouldn't be dealing with rapists and murders all day.
Nic (not verified) says ....
Your Comment
natie (not verified) says ....
I agree.. I work temp full-time, pay taxes get no benefits but my hard money goes to those on welfare who get everydamnthing.... as far as I am concerned... the government should take some of the money welfare folk get and pay moms for staying home with their kids for a full year. The wonderful employer should fund a second year for their employees who need to have time off on working parenting leave...WE PAY TOO DAMN MUCH... INTO TAXES...
Hayley-Maree (not verified) says ....
In Australia, everyone will get the 18 weeks from the government but then some work places also offer their own. My work places gives you half a year at full pay or a full year at half pay and we still get the government payment on top of what work gives.
Beverley Smith says ....
Actually as long as we are still calling it maternity 'leave' as in sailor's holiday or describing it as time 'off work' we have not advanced women's rights much. It is work. It a change in type of work and income but not in the fact of work. It is no holiday, no picnic and there is no please-sir- by your leave forgive my impertinence but I'm pregnant about it. Women should insist on funding for this vital work they contribute to the economy - taxpayers and workers for a new generation. Someone has to do it.
Quel (not verified) says ....
It is even worse in the Philippines. Here, we only get 60 days for normal delivery & 78 days if CS, with only maximum amount of Php39k salary equivalent. Good thing though, most employers provide top-up (i.e., difference between your salary & php39k if actual salary is higher). & I just found out that it's not compliant to the standards set by Int'l Labour Org which provides for 14wks.
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_protect/---protrav/---trav...
Doyliemom (not verified) says ....
Oooppps... Some very poor grammar! I should have proofread! "their normal income"... Not "there normal income".
:-)
Doyliemom (not verified) says ....
This article is very vague.... Missing a few critical details about Canada's mat leave funding. As mentioned by other posters maternity leave benefits are paid from the EI fund, which we can only claim from if we have met the minimum hours etc. and which we fund. I for one will never receive benefits anywhere equal to what I have paid in over my working life even with 2 mat leaves behind me. Self employed mothers unfortunately miss out on this although... They don't have to pay EI either so, in my opinion, it is a matter of financial planning and not that they are missing out on some great benefit. The real kicker for me is that many of our public servants receive a maternity top up that far exceeds that offered by the private sector. Tax payers need to be aware that we pay our government employees a mat leave top up to bridge the gap between what EI pays and there normal income. Many public servants are topped up to 95% for a full year leave!! For many this is significant $$$ for these already well paid employees and comes from the taxpayer pocket. I actually have friends who sought out and moved into government jobs solely for this benefit during their child bearing years!
Dmac says ....
I should point out that in Brazil it is our employer who pays you full pay for your leave, not the government. It is 3 months and usually we add 1 month vacation at the end for a total of 4 months. In Canada, with my second child I did not have maternity leave since I was not working, so we lived off one income until she turned 1 and I got a job. For the third child I PAID INTO E.I. FOR 13 years! Took one week vacation each year for 13 years! I believe I am entitled to a year off with my baby, considering all the bums on welfare I have to support! And 55% is a joke! Employers should have to pay full pay for the first 4 months and the remainder should be at about 60 - 80% by E.I.
teresa from ireland (not verified) says ....
im on maternity at the moment my job does not pay me while i am out but the goverment pays me as i have work up what i am entitled to since im working. here you get 6 months off with €262 a week thats the highest it goes. You cant get lower all depends on situation you are in etc...
Ashley (not verified) says ....
We pay into it dear (Tannys). How about the people on welfare? They're getting my hard earned money AND receive a tax refund as well as gst checks and so on.... I don't see a gst check or any other government issued check. How's that fair?? We Deserve a yr off with our young ones in my opinion.
rlouise (not verified) says ....
Guess what Tannys, this is why we working people pay into the EI fund, so that we are able to receive benefits when we are jobless or have a baby. We are receiving back the money we paid into the fund. As a teacher I pay into the EI fund every paycheck and am never able to collect unemployment benefits even though I am only paid for 10 months of the year. I did get benefits when I had a baby, but Canada discriminates against adoptive parents giving them less time off with pay than biological mothers.
Equality for adoptive moms (not verified) says ....
Guess what Tannys, this is why we working people pay into the EI fund, so that we are able to receive benefits when we are jobless or have a baby. We are receiving back the money we paid into the fund. As a teacher I pay into the EI fund every paycheck and am never able to collect unemployment benefits even though I am only paid for 10 months of the year. I did get benefits when I had a baby, but Canada discriminates against adoptive parents giving them less time off with pay than biological mothers.
kbannister (not verified) says ....
I wanted to add that Canada's policy includes the provision that you have worked for a certain number of hours before you are entitled to the paid leave. I went back to school last year, am now pregnant and won't be receiving any money for this "maternity leave".
Tannys (not verified) says ....
That is why the European Union is virtually bankrupt. Where do you think the money is coming from???? It's not up to the country to pay for you to have a child.