The 5 nations with the lowest leave policies for parents […] In continuation of last week, we look into the five nations with the least favorable mandatory parental leave policies.
Even though there is a global desire for progressive employment laws and a better work-life balance, certain nations are defying the trend when it comes to parental leave benefits.
In certain places, employers decide their own leave policies rather than having them prescribed by the government. Other nations could pay well for the leave a parent does take, but they might have strict restrictions on how many days they can take.
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There are several justifications for deciding to give ungenerous parental leave policies or no policies at all. Given that the age group of the majority of parents often makes up the greatest share of the workforce, it may be an effort to encourage parents to return to labor and contribute to the economy as soon as feasible. It has been suggested that parental leave policies with lesser allowances could reduce birth rates in areas with dense populations.
However, it has been asserted that inadequate parental leave benefits support inequality. Low-income families, who often need parental leave the most, cannot afford to take unpaid or meagerly compensated leave. Countries with inadequate or unpaid allowances for the father frequently have low rates of take-up, despite the fact that many nations are moving toward more parity between the genders when it comes to parental leave. If the father takes advantage of a low or unpaid paternity leave policy, it may be quite expensive to families when the gender wage gap is taken into account.
When it comes to a lack of compassion in terms of required parental leave, wealthy nations might occasionally be the worst offenders. In continuation with last week’s research of the nations offering the finest allowances for new parents, this week we’re examining those offering the poorest or lowest, and some of the findings may come as a surprise.
USA
0 days of maternity leave
0 days of paternity leave
shared parental leave with extra days: 0
Despite being one of the richest nations in the world, the US lacks a national parental leave law. Although some businesses opt to provide maternity and paternity leave benefits, this is entirely up to them and is neither encouraged nor sponsored by the government.
There is no federal requirement for businesses to help employees who are new or expecting parents, despite the fact that certain states have approved their own parental leave legislation. Due to this, the US is frequently ranked as one of the worst nations in the world for parental leave.
Turkey
16-week maternity leave
3 days of paternity leave
shared parental leave with extra days: 0
Turkey enables mothers to take 16 weeks of maternity leave, 8 weeks before and 8 weeks after giving birth. After that, mothers may request up to six months of unpaid leave.
Turkey has among the strictest parental leave policies in the world, with dads being permitted to take 3 days of leave.
Mexico
18-week maternity leave
5 days of paternity leave
shared parental leave with extra days: 0
The parental leave policy in Mexico, which grants dads an additional 2 days, is just marginally more liberal than the one in Turkey. This option is only truly practical for women who earn high salaries because only the first 12 weeks of maternity leave are paid at 100% of the mother’s salary, while the remaining weeks are provided at half-pay.
Australia
18-week maternity leave
2 weeks of paternity leave
shared parental leave with extra days: 0
Australia is a comparably wealthy nation with a subpar parental leave law, much like the US. Fathers or partners may take up to 2 weeks, while mothers may take up to 18 weeks, both of which are compensated at the federal minimum wage.
All told, this permits parents to take time off up until their kid becomes 5 months old, at which point they must either arrange childcare for their child or take unpaid leave, which may be refused by their employer.
Switzerland
14-week maternity leave
2 weeks of paternity leave
shared parental leave with extra days: 0
The parental leave allowance in Switzerland is among the poorest in all of Europe, despite the country’s reputation for richness and success. Switzerland only enables women to take 14 weeks (or around 3.5 months) of maternity leave, despite the fact that the leave is compensated at 80% of the parent’s salary, a rate that rivals that of the Nordic nations.
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