Appendix 1: Provision of statutory leave entitlements in 23 selected countries

Source: Table 1 published in Moss and O'Brien (2006:54), with details re Austria from country notes in Deven and Moss (2005)

Key:

Note 1: In the originating publication (Moss and O'Brien 2006), this column ( 3rd from left) is headed 'parental leave' i.e. with an identical title as the next column to the right - also titled 'parental leave'. This analysis assumes the 3^rd column has been incorrectly titled in the originating publication, since the data contained in it refer to entitlements for paternity leave, not parental leave. Accordingly, the column is titled 'paternity leave' in the table above, although the table otherwise reproduces the data in the original.

Maternity, paternity, parental leave and leave for sick children columns:

x - no statutory entitlement;

√ - statutory entitlement but unpaid;

√√ - statutory entitlement, paid either at low flat rate or earnings-related at less than 50 percent of earnings or not universal or for less than the full period of leave;

√√√ - statutory entitlement, paid to all parents at more than 50% or earnings (in most cases up to a ceiling).

Parental leave column:

* indicates payment is made to all parents with a young child whether or not they take leave;

F = family entitlement;

I = individual entitlement;

F/I = some period of family entitlement and some period of individual entitlement

Total post-natal leave column:

Unbracketed numbers indicate total length of leave in months to nearest month;

Bracketed numbers (in this column) indicate length of leave in months which receives some payment. n.b. this column includes both 'parental' and 'childcare' leaves.

[+] indicates additional leave entitlements covering a wider range of family members than young children and/or situations of serious illness.

Country footnotes (fn):

Canada:

There are differences in length of leave between provinces and territories;

three provinces allow three to five days of unpaid leave to care for members of immediate family

Czech Republic: Parental leave may be taken until child is three years, but benefit is paid until child is four.

France: Parental leave payment to parents with one child until 6 months after the end of maternity leave.

Germany: Parental leave payment after maternity leave is until child is 2 years and means tested.

Hungary:

For insured parents leave is paid at 70 percent of earnings until child's 3^rd birthday, then at flat rate;

only mother is entitled to use in child's first year.

Either of the parents in a family with three or more children may take leave during the period between the third and eighth birthday of the youngest child. Payment same as for non-insured parents.

Italy: Parental leave is 6 months per parent, but total leave per family cannot exceed 10 months.

Sweden: 480 days [approx 16 mths] paid leave per family (divided between individual entitlements and family entitlements);

390 days [approx 13 mths] at 90 per cent of earnings and 90 days at a low flat rate; each parent also entitled to 18 months unpaid leave.

United States: Parents may take up to 12 weeks unpaid for childbirth or care of child up to 12 months of age as part of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act;

employers with fewer than 50 employees are exempt;

Five states and Puerto Rico provide some benefit payments to parents missing work around the time of childbirth [California, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Puerto Rico].