Parental leave is an employee benefit that provides paid or unpaid time off work to care for a child or make arrangements for the child's welfare. Often, the term parental leave includes maternity, paternity, and adoption leave. Often the minimum benefits are stipulated by law.
Contents |
General discussion
In most western countries parental leave is available for those who have worked for their current employer for a certain period of time.[1] National legislations vary widely as it is a matter of politics to decide the appropriate type of parental leave legislation.
Critics put forward that parental leave benefits may hurt businesses, in particular smaller ones, and may lead to employer discrimination of people they fear will make use of the parental leave benefits, in particular women.[citation needed]
Sometimes companies voluntarily provide parental leave benefits that go beyond those required by law, presumably as a way of bolstering their attractiveness to potential recruits.[citation needed]
Benefits in a selection of countries
When entries are not listed in the subsection tables, it may be because they are unknown and not that they do not exist.[2][3]
Africa
Country | Paid maternity leave | Paid paternity leave | Unpaid maternity leave | Unpaid paternity leave | Restrictions |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Algeria | 14 weeks 100% | 3 days | |||
Angola | 3 months 100% | ||||
Benin | 14 weeks 100% | ||||
Botswana | 12 weeks 25% | ||||
Burkina Faso | 14 weeks 100% | ||||
Burundi | 12 weeks 50% | ||||
Cameroon | 14 weeks 100% | Up to 10 days paid leave for family events concerning workers' home | |||
Central African Republic | 14 weeks 50% | ||||
Chad | 14 weeks 50% | Up to 10 days paid leave for family events concerning workers' home | |||
Comoros | 14 weeks 100% | ||||
Congo | 15 weeks 100% | ||||
Cote d'Ivoire | 14 weeks 100% | Up to 10 days paid leave for family events concerning workers' home | |||
Democratic Republic of the Congo | 14 weeks 67% | ||||
Djibouti | 14 weeks 50% (100% for public employees) | 10 days family-related leave | |||
Egypt | 90 days (approx. 13 weeks) 100% | ||||
Equatorial Guinea | 12 weeks 75% | ||||
Eritrea | 60 days unknown | ||||
Ethiopia | 90 days (approx. 12 weeks) 100% | Five days of unpaid leave in the event of exceptional or serious events | |||
Gabon | 14 weeks 100% | Up to 10 days paid leave for family events concerning workers' home | |||
The Gambia | 12 weeks 100% | ||||
Ghana | 12 weeks 100% | ||||
Guinea | 14 weeks 100% | ||||
Guinea-Bissau | 60 days (approx. 8.5 weeks) 100% | ||||
Kenya | 2 months 100% | 2 weeks | |||
Lesotho | 12 weeks unknown | ||||
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya | 50 days (approx. 7 weeks) 50% | ||||
Madagascar | 14 weeks 100% | 10 days of unpaid leave for family events | |||
Mali | 14 weeks 100% | ||||
Mauritania | 14 weeks 100% | ||||
Mauritius | 12 weeks 100% | ||||
Morocco | 14 weeks 100% | ||||
Mozambique | 60 days (approx. 8.5 weeks) 100% | ||||
Namibia | 12 weeks 80% | ||||
Niger | 14 weeks 50% | ||||
Nigeria | 12 weeks 50% | ||||
Rwanda | 12 weeks 67% | Two days | |||
Sao Tome/Principe | 60 days (approx. 8.5 weeks) 100% | 10 days | |||
Senegal | 14 weeks 100% | ||||
Seychelles | 14 weeks flat rate for 10 weeks | Four days of paid leave for "compassionate reasons" | |||
Somalia | 14 weeks 50% | ||||
South Africa | 4 months Up to 60% dependent on income | Three days paid family responsibility leave | |||
Sudan | 8 weeks 100% | ||||
Swaziland | 12 weeks | ||||
Togo | 14 weeks 100% | Up to ten days of paid leave for "family events directly related to home" | |||
Tunisia | 30 days (approx. 4 weeks) 67% | 1 day (private sector), 2 days (public sector) | |||
Uganda | 60 working days (approx. 8.5 weeks) 100% | 4 working days 100% | |||
United Republic of Tanzania | 12 weeks 100% | 5 days fully paid paternity leave | Paid maternity leave may only be taken once every 36 months | ||
Zambia | 12 weeks 100% | ||||
Zimbabwe | 90 days (approx. 12 weeks) 100% |
Americas
In 2000, parental leave was greatly expanded in Canada from 10 weeks to 35 weeks divided as desired between two parents. This is in addition to 15 weeks maternity leave. In most situations, a combination of maternity and parental benefits can be received up to a combined maximum of 50 weeks. In Canada maternity and parental leave is paid for by the Employment Insurance system.[4]
There is currently a push to expand paid maternity leave in the United States.[citation needed] One organization supporting paid maternity leave in the United States is Moms Rising[5] and the National Partnership for Women & Families is also an organization that strongly supports paid family & medical leave [6]. Additional information about family leave policies and movements within the United States is available at PaidFamilyLeave.org. It is doing so by appealing to each state legislature individually to obtain maternity leave in that state. The Center for Law and Social Policy is also a leader in the campaign for national paid leave policy and publishes often on the subject. [7]
Country | Paid maternity leave | Paid paternity leave | Unpaid maternity leave | Unpaid paternity leave | Restrictions |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Antigua/Barbuda | 13 weeks 60% | ||||
Argentina | 90 days 100% | Two days | |||
Aruba | 12 weeks 100% | ||||
Bahamas | 13 weeks 60% | One week family-related leave | Paid maternity leave may only be taken once every 36 months | ||
Barbados | 12 weeks 100% | ||||
Belize | 12 weeks 80% | ||||
Bolivia | 12 weeks 100% of national min. wage + 70% of wages above min. wage | ||||
Brazil | 120 days 100%, salary partially tax-deductible for employers | 5 days (Article 10, Paragraph 1, of Temporary Constitutional Provisions Act of Brazilian Constitution)[3] | |||
Canada | 55% up to $447/week for 50 weeks (15 weeks maternity + 35 weeks parental leave shared with father)[8] | 55% up to $447/week for 35 weeks parental leave (shared with mother)[9] | 2 weeks
Quebec, 70% up to $834.61/week for 25 weeks, then 55% up to $655.76/week for 25 weeks. As with the federal plan, there are 32 weeks of parental leave that can be shared with father. In addition, fathers are eligible for 5 weeks paid leave at a rate of up to 70% of their income or 3 weeks paid leave at a rate of 75% of their income. |
||
Chile | 18 weeks 100% | Article 66 indicates 1 day paid; Law N° 20.047 (2005) increased paternity leave to 4 days paid leave. (edward gonzalez-acosta, The New School) | |||
Colombia | 12 weeks 100% | Law 755 (2002) appended a paragraph to Article 236 of the Labor Code to indicate that fathers have a leave of 4–8 days. (edward gonzalez-acosta, The New School) | |||
Costa Rica | 4 months 100% | ||||
Cuba | 18 weeks 100% | ||||
Dominica | 12 weeks 60% | ||||
Dominican Republic | 12 weeks 100% | ||||
Ecuador | 12 weeks 100% | ||||
El Salvador | 12 weeks 75% | ||||
Grenada | 3 months 100% (2 months), 60% for 3rd month | ||||
Guatemala | 84 days 100% | Two days at birth of child | |||
Guyana | 13 weeks 70% | ||||
Haiti | 12 weeks 100% for 6 weeks | ||||
Honduras | 10 weeks 100% for 84 days | ||||
Jamaica | 12 weeks 100% for 8 weeks | ||||
Mexico | 12 weeks 100% | ||||
Nicaragua | 12 weeks 60% | ||||
Panama | 14 weeks 100% | ||||
Paraguay | 12 weeks 50% for 9 weeks | Two days | |||
Peru | 90 days 100% | ||||
Saint Lucia | 3 months 65% | ||||
Trinidad/Tobago | 13 weeks 60%-100% | ||||
United States | 0 weeks | 0 weeks | 12 weeks | 12 weeks | To be covered under FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act): Must work for a covered employer (all public agencies; private companies with 50 or more employees within 75 miles.) Must have worked for covered employer for at least 12 months prior, and at least 1250 hours in previous 12 months. Other restrictions apply. |
Uruguay | 12 weeks 100% | Three days paternity leave for civil servants | |||
Venezuela | 18 weeks 100% |
Asia/Pacific
Australia will be introducing an 18 week paid maternity leave scheme starting in 2011, once approved by parliament. It is to be publicly funded, and to provide the federal minimum wage (currently AUS $543.78 a week) rather than a percentage of the primary caregiver's salary. It will not be available to families wherein the primary caregiver has an annual salary above $150,000.[10]
Country | Paid maternity leave | Paid paternity leave | Unpaid maternity leave | Unpaid paternity leave | Restrictions | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Afghanistan | 90 days 100% | |||||
Azerbaijan | 126 days 100% | |||||
Australia | Currently zero. From January 1, 2011 (pending parliamentary approval) 18 weeks at federal minimum wage is proposed. | Currently zero. From January 1, 2011 (pending parliamentary approval) 18 weeks at federal minimum wage is proposed. | Up to 52 weeks unpaid shared with father. | Up to 1 week unpaid taken at time of birth. Up to an additional 51 weeks if not taken at the same time as the mother, and for the purposes of providing primary care. Employer has right to refuse. | The 52 weeks are shared between the parents, and all leave must be completed before the child's first birthday. | |
Bahrain | 45 days 100% | |||||
Bangladesh | 16 weeks (8 weeks before delivery and 8 weeks after delivery) 100% | In case of third (+) time mom, who has two or more babies alive already. | ||||
Cambodia | 90 days 50% | 10 days special leave for family events | ||||
China | 90 days 100% | |||||
Fiji | 84 days Flat rate | |||||
Hong Kong | 10 weeks 100% | |||||
India | 12 weeks 100% | |||||
Indonesia | 3 months 100% | Two days' paid when wife gives birth | ||||
Iran | 90 days 66.7% for 16 weeks | |||||
Iraq | 62 days 100% | |||||
Israel | 14 weeks 100%. The weeks from 6th to 14th can be taken by the father. | Can take the paid leave instead of the mother starting from the 6th week (up to 14 weeks) | 1 year | |||
Japan | 14 weeks 60% | |||||
Jordan | 10 weeks 100% | |||||
Korea, Republic of | 90 days 100% | 1 year (400US$ per a month paid by Employment Insurance)until the child is 3 years old | 1 year (400US$ per a month paid by Employment Insurance)until the child is 3 years old | |||
Kuwait | 70 days 100% | |||||
Lao People's Democratic Republic | 3 months 70% | |||||
Lebanon | 7 weeks 100% | |||||
Malaysia | 60 days 100% | |||||
Mongolia | 120 days 70% | |||||
Myanmar | 12 weeks 66.7% | Six days of "casual leave" that can be used by fathers to assist their spouses at the time of confinement | ||||
Nepal | 52 days 100% | |||||
New Zealand | 14 weeks @ up to NZ$407.36/week | 38 weeks | Fathers can share unpaid (extended) leave with the mother of the child. | |||
Pakistan | 12 weeks 100% | |||||
Papua New Guinea | 12 weeks 0% | |||||
Philippines | 60 days 100% | Seven days paid paternity leave for married workers | ||||
Qatar | 50 days 100% for civil servants | |||||
Saudi Arabia | 10 weeks 50% or 100% | One day | ||||
Singapore | 16 weeks 100% | |||||
Solomon Islands | 12 weeks 25% | |||||
Sri Lanka | 12 weeks 100% | |||||
Syrian Arab Republic | 50 days 70% | |||||
Thailand | 90 days 100% for 45 days then 50% for 45 days | |||||
United Arab Emirates | 3 months 100% | |||||
Vietnam | 4–6 months 100% | |||||
Yemen | 60 days 100% |
Europe
![](https://web.archive.org/web/20100303040423im_/http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3d/MaternalLeaveEurope.png/400px-MaternalLeaveEurope.png)
Sweden is one country which provides generous parental leave: all working parents are entitled to 16 months paid leave per child, the cost being shared between employer and the state. To encourage greater paternal involvement in child-rearing, a minimum of 2 months out of the 16 is required to be used by the "minority" parent, in practice usually the father, and some Swedish political parties on the political left argue for legislation to oblige families to divide the 16 months equally between both parents.[12] Norway also has similarly generous leave. In Estonia mothers are entitled to 18 months of paid leave, starting up to 70 days before due date. Fathers are entitled to paid leave starting from the third month after birth (paid leave is however available to only one parent at a time).
In the UK, all female employees are entitled to 52 weeks of maternity (or adoption) leave, 39 weeks of which is paid, rising to 52 weeks paid from April 2010, with the first six weeks paid at 90% of full pay and the remainder at a fixed rate. A spouse or partner of the woman (including same-sex relationships) may request a two week paid (at a fixed rate) paternity leave.[13] Both the mother and her partner can additionally request non-paid parental leave, which can be for up to 4 weeks annually, with a current limit of 13 weeks.[14]
Country | Paid maternity leave | Paid paternity leave | Unpaid maternity leave | Unpaid paternity leave | Restrictions |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Albania | 1 year 80% before birth and 150 days, 50% for the rest | ||||
Austria | 16 weeks 100% | ||||
Belarus | 126 days 100% | ||||
Belgium | 15 weeks 82% for 30 days, 75%* thereafter | 10 day (3 days are compulsory)[1] | 7 days but 82% paid out by health insurance fund | ||
Bulgaria | 1 year 100%; 2nd year at min salary | father or a grandparent can take the maternity leave instead of the mother | 6 months to be used until the child turns 8 | 6 months to be used until the child turns 8 | |
Cyprus | 16 weeks 75% | ||||
Czech Republic | 28 weeks (6-8 weeks before birth) ~70%; & parental leave up to 2/3/4 years of age of the child (approx. 633/422/211$ a month). Can be taken by either of the parents or by both at the same time (but only one will receive the monetary support). | ||||
Denmark | 52 weeks. 18 to be taken by the mother, 2 weeks by the father, the rest as they see fit. | ||||
Estonia | 140 days (100%), 154 days in the case of multiple birth or medical complications[15] | 14 days, expires after 6 months after child's birth | 3 years | ||
Finland | 105 days 80%, followed by share of 158 days with father | 18 days, can share 158 days with mother after maternity leave | Until child turns 3 | Until child turns 3 | |
France | 16 weeks (100%) rising to 26 weeks (100%) for third child | 3 days + 11 consecutive days | Share of 104 weeks (2 years) with father | Share of 104 weeks (2 years) with mother | |
Germany | 14 weeks (100%) 6 before birth, 12/14 months (67%, but not more than 1.800 Euro/month) (14 only for single mothers) | 12/14 months (67%, but not more than 1.800 Euro/month) (14 only for single fathers) | Share of 156 weeks (3 years) with father | Share of 156 weeks (3 years) with mother | Must have private health insurance for part of paid leave, rest of paid leave paid by employer |
Greece | 119 days 100% | ||||
Hungary | 24 weeks 100% | Five days | |||
Iceland | 90 days 80% (based on total salary over a 12 month period ending 6 months before the birth). Max. monthly payment for 2008: Íkr535,700 (around €4,500, $6,500 at exchange rates in August 2008); min. monthly payment for 2008: Íkr103,869 (around €870, $1,250)
+ 90 days to be shared freely between the parents[16] |
As for the mother | 13 weeks | 13 weeks | Parents must have been working for a period of 6 months prior to taking the leave. Parental leave can be taken at any time during the first 18 months of the baby's life. |
Ireland | 26 weeks (6½ months) | 0 | 16 (4 months) weeks that can be shared with father | 16 (4 months) weeks that can be shared with mother | |
Italy | 22 weeks (5 months) (80%) 2 before birth | 13 weeks (3 months) (80%) | Maximum 26 weeks (6 months) (total for both parents maximum 44 weeks (10 months)) | Maximum 30 weeks (7 months) (total for both parents maximum 44 weeks (10 months)) | For paid leave, job contract must include social contributions (INPS) |
Latvia | 112 days, 100% | 10 calendar days | |||
Liechtenstein | 8 weeks 80% | ||||
Lithuania | 52 weeks 100% + 52 weeks 85% (either mother or father can take it or take the leave in shifts) | 1 month | |||
Luxembourg | 16 weeks 100% | ||||
Malta | 15 weeks 100% | ||||
Netherlands | 16 weeks 100% | 2 days 100% | 26 weeks | 26 weeks | Unpaid leave for children under 8. For unpaid leave you have to have worked for an employer for over 1 year. The government gives all parents that use unpaid parental leave, through tax breaks, 50% of the national minimum wage. Employers have the possibility to provide a payment on their own discretion. Payment for parental leave can also be set at the collective labour agreements. |
Norway | 56 weeks (13 months) (80%) or 46 weeks (10.5 months) (100%) - mother must take at least 3 weeks immediately before birth and 9 weeks immediately after birth, father must take at least 10 weeks - the rest can be shared between mother and father. | Each parent can also take an extra full year of unpaid leave after the paid period ends | Two weeks after birth (many fathers are paid for these weeks by their employers) plus right to take up to one year unpaid leave | To gain the right of paid leave, the Mother must have worked for 6 of the last 10 months before birth, or the leave is unpaid (except for a lump sum benefit from the government) | |
Poland | 16–18 weeks 100% | ||||
Portugal | 120 days 100% or 150 days 80% | 15 days 100% | Five days plus two weeks. | Of the maternity leave, 6 weeks is compulsory. The father may take the rest of the time the mother would have been entitled to. | |
Romania | 126 days (42 compulsory to be taken after birth)- paid 100% + 2 years (3 for a disabilitated baby)(85%, but not lower than 600 RON and not more than 4000 RON) | Five days plus 10 more days if the father has taken a child care course (these 10 days are given only once, so not for every child). All 15 days must be taken within the first 8 weeks since the birth of the baby. | Must have worked 12 months in the previous year. | ||
Russia | 140-194 days (before birth: 70 days, or 84 days if multiple pregnancy; after birth: 70 days, or 86 days in case of complications, or 110 days if multiple birth)[17] 100%;
followed by: up to 18 months after birth - 1,500-6,000 RUB for the first child, 3,000-6,000 RUB for any subsequent child, but not exceeding 100%[18] (could be shared with father, grandparents, guardians or actual caregivers of the child). |
following the after-birth portion of maternity leave, up to 18 months after birth - 1,500-6,000 RUB a month for the first child, 3,000-6,000 RUB a month for any subsequent child, but not exceeding 100% (could be shared with father, grandparents, guardians or actual caregivers of the child) | up to 18 months (1.5–3 years after birth), could be shared with father, grandparents, guardians or actual caregivers of the child | up to 18 months (1.5–3 years after birth), could be shared with mother, grandparents, guardians or actual caregivers of the child | |
Slovenia | 12 months 100% | 11 days | |||
Spain | 16 weeks 100% | 15 days (in the next years 30 days), independently of the mother. Up to 15 days of the mother's leave can be taken by the father (if the father takes all 15 days, the mother only has 97 days to take off instead of the full 4 weeks (112 days)) | Up to 3 years. | 2,500 € for every baby. 100 €/month for mother that worked. No free public day-care center from 0 to 3 years old infants. | |
Sweden | 480 days (16 months) (62.08% (80% of 80% of 97%) up to a ceiling the first 390 days, 90 days at flat rate) - shared with father (dedicated 60 days) | 480 days (16 months) (62.08% (80% of 80% of 97%) up to a ceiling the first 390 days, 90 days at flat rate) - shared with mother (dedicated 60 days) + 10 working days in connection with the child's birth | The first 18 months (at maximum) individually, by postponing the shared paid period. | The first 18 months (at maximum) individually, by postponing the shared paid period. | |
Switzerland | 16 weeks (100%), 8 weeks mandatory | None | None | None | Pregnant women can't be fired |
Turkey | 16 weeks 66.7% | Three days paternity leave in the public sector | 6 months | ||
Ukraine | 126 days 100% | ||||
United Kingdom | Currently 39 weeks paid, due to rise to 52 weeks paid from April 2010, although delayed indefinitely[19] (6 weeks at 90% of full pay and remainder at a flat rate (as of 2009 = £123.06) or 90% of your salary if that is less than the flat rate) | 2 weeks at a fixed amount (as of March 2009 = £123.06) 4 weeks per year (non-paid and a max of 13 weeks) via a Parental leave request if they have at least one year's continuous employment |
26 weeks (maternity or adoption) for total a of 52 weeks (paid and non-paid) 4 weeks per year (non-paid and a max of 13 weeks) via a Parental leave request if they have at least one year's continuous employment |
None. Though note that a spouse or partner can request up to 4 weeks non-paid Parental leave annually (max 13 weeks) if they have at least one year's continuous employment | The person requesting Maternity/Adoption or Paternity leave person must have worked for their current employer for at least 26 weeks before the 15th week before the due date (and received a salary that is higher than a fixed minimum). They must give the employer notice before the 15th week before the child is due. |
International organizations
As international organizations are not subject to the legislation of any country, they have their own internal legislation on parental leave.
Organization | Paid maternity leave | Paid paternity leave | Unpaid maternity leave | Unpaid paternity leave | Restrictions |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
United Nations[20] | 16 weeks 100% (however, no fewer than 10 weeks must be after delivery, even if the pre-delivery leave was longer due to a late birth) | 4 weeks 100% (or 8 weeks for staff members serving at locations where they are not allowed to live with their family) | The fact that a staff member is or will be on parental leave cannot be a factor in deciding contract renewal. To ensure that this is enforced, if a contract ends while the staff member is on parental leave, the contract must be extended to cover the duration of such leave. |
See also
Notes
- ^ a b Department of Business Enterprise & Regulation (2007)(ed.): Internal Review of Leave Policies and Related Research 2007, in: Employment Relations Research Series No. 80, p. 96, URL: http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file40677.pdf
- ^ The paternal leave rights are compiled from the International Labour Organization site at http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/condtrav/family/reconcilwf/specialleave.htm copyrighted 2006. This site does not list the amount paid for paid leave. Where information from the International Labour Organization disagreed with http://ec.europa.eu/eures/home.jsp?lang=en, the EU site has been given precedence
- ^ Updated September 2008, from http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/indwm/ww2005/tab5c.htm
- ^ Service Canada Employment Insurance (EI) and maternity, parental and sickness benefits
- ^ Moms Rising
- ^ www.nationalpartnership.org
- ^ http://www.clasp.org/admin/site/publications/files/0229.pdf
- ^ Service Canada
- ^ Service Canada
- ^ "Budget 2009-10: Expense Measures", http://www.budget.gov.au/2009-10/content/bp2/html/bp2_expense-13.htm, Australian Government
- ^ European table from http://ec.europa.eu/eures/home.jsp?lang=en (taken from this page in February 2006) and http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4837422.stm (March 2006).
- ^ Information on Swedish parental leave from http://www.forsakringskassan.se/
- ^ "Paternity leave and pay: UK Directgov". http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Moneyandworkentitlements/WorkAndFamilies/Paternityrightsintheworkplace/DG_10029398. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
- ^ "Parental leave: Directgov UK". http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Moneyandworkentitlements/WorkAndFamilies/Parentalleaveandflexibleworking/DG_10029416. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
- ^ [1], accessed 06-22-2007.
- ^ Information on Icelandic parental leave from http://www.althingi.is/lagas/132a/2000095.html
- ^ [2]
- ^ http://www.buhgalteria.ru/page/4045
- ^ http://www.lge.gov.uk/lge/core/page.do?pageId=119649#contents-2010-4
- ^ "UN legislation on maternity and paternity leave". http://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N05/337/76/doc/N0533776.DOC?OpenElement.
External links
- BBC article on proposed parental leave in Germany designed to halt the decline in the birth rate and male/female workplace inequality - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4852040.stm
- BBC article on declining birth rate in Italy - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4739154.stm
- BBC article on declining birth rate in Poland and new schemes designed to increase it - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4852924.stm
- BBC article on success of Norway's parental leave scheme - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4786160.stm
- BBC guide to parenthood policies in Europe - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4837422.stm (n.b. In this BBC article parental leave means unpaid leave)
- Trends in Maternity Leave for First-Time Mothers in the U.S. - http://fycs.ifas.ufl.edu/news/2006/05/family-album-radio-trends-in-maternity.html
- TUC page about maternity rights in the UK - http://www.worksmart.org.uk/rights/what_time_off_work_am_i_entitled
- Center for Law and Social Policy on need for reform in the US: http://www.clasp.org/publications/getting_punched_fullnotes.pdf
- Canadian Labour Standards Government website - http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/lp/spila/wlb/wppp/02leave_benefits.shtml
- International Network on Leave Policy and Research