The best European countries to be a father
All EU member states must offer a minimum of 10 days of paid paternity leave by the 4th of April 2022, according to the new directive on Work-Life Balance for Parents and Carers that the European Commission issued in 2020 with the aim to promote gender equality.
The purpose of ensuring that parental leave is available to each parent exclusively and cannot be transferred to the other parent, is to encourage fathers to make use of their right to such leave. It also promotes and facilitates the reintegration of mothers in the labour market after they have taken a period of maternity and parental leave. In many countries, fathers are not expected to take any part in their newborn baby’s care and therefore there is no parental leave provision by law. Due to the new EU directive, many European countries have to make major changes to their laws.
“The imbalance in the design of work-life balance policies between women and men reinforces gender stereotypes and differences between work and care… Furthermore, the use of work-life balance arrangements by fathers, such as leave or flexible working arrangements, has been shown to have a positive impact in reducing the relative amount of unpaid family work undertaken by women and leaving them more time for paid employment”, European Commission argues.
Given that flexibility makes it more likely that each parent, in particular fathers, will take up their entitlement to parental leave, EUs wants to make member states facilitate workers to request that parental leave either on a full-time or a part-time basis, in alternating periods, such as for a number of consecutive weeks of leave separated by periods of work, or in other flexible ways.
The differences between the countries around the world are huge – but they are big even within Europe and the European Union. Moonshot News has made a comprehensive list with 21 countries in Europe, including the brexited U.K., and marks the benefits for each one of them.
As with the maternity leave, Iceland is at the top of the list for paternal leave benefits, while Greece, Cyprus and Switzerland are at the bottom – and according to a OECD study – far below any other country in the three out of four indicators measured.
Austria
In Austria, fathers were entitled to 1 month of unpaid paternity leave with a one-time compensation of 700 euros – under the new EU Directive this means that Austrian fathers will also be entitled to 10 days of paid paternity leave.
Belgium
From 1 January 2021, leave for fathers was increased from 10 days to 15 days.
Bulgaria
In Bulgaria, fathers are entitled to 15 days of paid paternity leave, during which they receive 90% of the regular pay; still, according to the country’s data, fathers rarely use this privilege.
Croatia
Until 2022, there was no statutory requirement for paid paternity leave in Croatia but the employee has the option of using their personal leave.
Cyprus
In Cyprus, parents can share up to two consecutive weeks between the week of the birth and the following 16 weeks, paid by the government on conditions, but no paternal leave allocated to the fathers.
Denmark
The length of the paternity leave in Denmark is at least 2 weeks and can run up to 52 weeks. All employees covered by collective agreements receive full earnings during part or all of the Parental leave period
France
In France, since July 2021, paternity leave entitlement is 28 days. 7 of these 28 days are mandatory while the remaining 21 are optional.
Germany
In Germany, parents can take up to 3 years of parental leave, receiving no salary, but an allowance from the state in accordance with their salary. Fathers don’t have any statutory paternity leave entitlement, but they are eligible to share the benefit with the mother.
Greece
Fathers in Greece are currently entitled to 2 days’ paid leave for the birth of a child. According to the EU data, Greek fathers rarely take paternity leave.
Ireland
From April 2021, the 2 weeks’ parent’s paid leave was increased to 5 weeks for each parent and until the child becomes two years old.
Iceland
Extending the same benefits to mothers and fathers regarding maternity and paternity leave is an essential step toward gender equality and Iceland practices that: as of 1 January 2021, the new maternity and paternity leave for 12 months is in effect. Each parent receives six months of leave, with one month transferable between the parents and 80% of the salary. However, the right to parental leave will then expire when the child reaches eighteen months.
Policy makers in Iceland, have realised that the extended parental leave encourages both parents to fulfill their family obligations but also increases employment and serves to equalize opportunities in the labour market.
Malta
In Malta, before 2021, the national law provides for a minimum of 1 day paid paternity leave. The new directive will raise that to 10 days of paid paternity leave.
The Netherlands
In the first 4 weeks, the father of a newborn is entitled to at least 5 days of paid leave. From 1 July 2020 on the partner is entitled to an additional 5 weeks, with at least 70% paid leave. The additional leave will be reimbursed by the government.
The Netherlands also offer unpaid parental leave. The employee can take this till the eight birthday of the child, for every child the employee is entitled up to 26 times the number of hours you work per week.
Norway
Fathers have 15 weeks of reserved paternity leave, out of a total period of 49 week of parental leave with 100% coverage or 19 weeks (out of 59) with 80% coverage. If the father wishes to receive parental benefit that does not come under the paternal quota, the mother must be in gainful activity, e.g. working or studying.
Portugal
In Portugal, fathers are entitled to 20 working days of leave with an additional 5 working days that are optional, whereas the previous benefit granted 15 working days of mandatory paternity leave and an additional 10 working days that are optional. In addition, leave is paid at 100% of the regular pay from the average salary of the previous 6 months before the leave is taken.
Romania
In Romania, fathers used to be entitled to 5 days of paid paternity leave. The leave has to be used until the child reaches the age of 8 weeks. The new EU directive, will cause changes where fathers will be entitled to 10 days of paternity leave.
Slovakia
Fathers are entitled to 28 weeks of paternity leave, starting 6 weeks after the mother gives birth, but only if the mother is not receiving maternity benefits. Single fathers are entitled to 31 weeks of paternity leave. The leave is paid by the Social security agency.
Slovenia
Slovenia offers fathers 30 days of paid paternity leave. Pay is based on the average earnings over the previous 12 months, however, is capped at 2.5x average monthly salary in Slovenia (currently 3,664.31 EUR). Slovenia is considered to have one of the more generous paternity leave laws not just in comparison to other European Union countries, but in the world.
Spain
From January 2021 paternity leave in Spain is increased to 16 weeks. Prior to the 16 weeks it used to be 12 weeks. In case of multiple births the paternity leave can be extend by two weeks. Partners can apply for this paternity leave they will receive 100% if their regulatory base salary.
Sweden
Sweden has one of the most generous parental leave systems in the world. Parents are given 480 days of leave per child, and 390 of these days are paid at a rate of 80% of your salary up to a capped limited of 99 euros a day.
Switzerland
Since September 2020, fathers in Switzerland are entitled to 14 days of paid paternity leave within six months of the birth of their child.
United Kingdom
The fathers ‘are eligible’ to 1 or 2 weeks paid paternity leave and they can share up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay with the mother, within the first year of the birth of the child.
The global picture
At a global level, according to United Nations’ data, out of 41 countries surveyed, 26 offer paid paternity leave compared with 40 that offer paid maternity leave. Paid paternity leave tends to be shorter than maternity leave (usually 1–2 weeks) but it is often paid at a higher rate. Sixteen of the 26 countries guarantee 100-per-cent salary replacement for an employee on average earnings.
The number of countries offering leave for fathers rises when parental leave, which follows paternity leave, is included. Out of 41 countries, 32 reserve paid leave for fathers either through paternity leave or parental leave.
Leave reserved for fathers makes up at least one-third of all available paid leave in only four countries – Iceland, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Portugal.
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