Table 1.
Paternity and parental leave schemes across the OECD, 2011
| Paternity leave1 | % rate of allowance2 | FRE paid paternity leave | Year of introduction - paternity leave (or parental leave for fathers) | Parental leave3 | Characteristics of parental leave | Incentives for fathers to take leave | Transferring part of maternity leave to fathers without exceptional circumstances | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Father’s quota | Bonus | ||||||||
| (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | (5) | (6) | (7) | (7) | (8) | |
| Australia4 | .. | .. | .. | 2013 | 52 weeks per parent - unpaid | Individual entitlement | .. | .. | .. |
| Austria | .. | .. | .. | 1990 (parental leave) | Parents can choose between 5 payment and duration options until child reaches age 2 | Family entitlement to be divided between parents as they choose | .. | Bonus - in the 5 different schemes there are paid ‘partner’ months for the exclusive use of the other parent | .. |
| Belgium | 2 weeks (three days obligatory) | 87.4 | 1.2 | 1961 | 16 weeks per parent | Individual entitlement | .. | .. | .. |
| Canada (Quebec) | 3 to 5 weeks | 75 or 70 | .. | 2006 | 35 weeks | Family entitlement to be divided between parents as they choose | .. | .. | .. |
| Chile | 1.0 | 100.0 | 1.0 | 2005 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Czech Republic | .. | .. | .. | 2001 (parental leave – employment protected for fathers) | 156 weeks per parent until child reaches age 3 | Individual entitlement | .. | .. | yes |
| Denmark | 2.0 | 55.0 | 1.1 | 1984 | 32 weeks | Family entitlement to be divided between parents as they choose, but the total leave period cannot exceed more than 32 weeks per family | 3 weeks (only in industrial sector) | .. | .. |
| Estonia | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2008 | 156 weeks per parent until child reaches age 3 | Family entitlement to be divided between parents as they choose | .. | .. | .. |
| Finland | 3+4 bonus weeks | 70.0 | 4.9 | 1991 | 26.5 weeks | Family entitlement to be divided between parents as they choose | .. | 4 ‘bonus weeks’ if father takes at least 2 weeks of parental leave | .. |
| France | 2.0 | 100.0 | 2.0 | 2002 | 156 weeks per parent until child reaches age 3 | Family entitlement to be divided between parents as they choose | .. | .. | .. |
| Germany5 | 8.0 | 67.4 | 5.4 | 2007 | 156 weeks per parent until child reaches age 3 | Family entitlement to be divided between parents as they choose | .. | Overall length of benefit payment is extended to 14 months if father takes at least 2 months of leave | .. |
| Greece | 0.4 | 100.0 | 0.4 | 2000 | 14 weeks per parent - unpaid | Individual entitlement | .. | .. | .. |
| Hungary | 1.0 | 100.0 | 1.0 | 2002 | 156 weeks per parent until child reaches age 3 | Family entitlement to be divided between parents as they choose | .. | .. | .. |
| Iceland | 13.0 | 64.6 | 8.4 | 1998 | 13 weeks per parent | Mixed entitlement, a total leave of 9 months (including maternity, paternity and parental leave) can be used | 13 weeks | .. | .. |
| Ireland | .. | .. | .. | .. | 14 weeks per parent - unpaid | Individual entitlement | .. | .. | .. |
| Italy | .. | .. | .. | .. | 26 weeks per parent | Individual entitlement, w ith total amount of leave not exceeding 10 months | .. | 1 month bonus if father takes at least 3 months of leave | .. |
| Japan | .. | .. | .. | 2010 –introduction of bonus | 52 weeks + 8 weeks ‘sharing bonus’ | Individual entitlement | .. | 2 month bonus if parents share leave | .. |
| Korea | 0.4 | 100.0 | 0.4 | 2008 | 45.6 weeks | Individual entitlement, but parents cannot take leave at the same time | .. | .. | .. |
| Luxembourg | 0.4 | 100.0 | 0.4 | 1962 | 26 weeks per parent - paid | Individual entitlement | .. | .. | .. |
| Mexico | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Netherlands | 0.4 | 100.0 | 0.4 | 2001 | 26 weeks per parent until child is 8 | Individual entitlement | .. | .. | .. |
| New Zealand | 1 or 2 depending on eligibility | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1987 - extension of parental leave to fathers | 52 weeks including maternity and paternity leave | Family entitlement to be divided between parents as they choose | .. | .. | .. |
| Norway | 2 + 12 fathers’ quota | 85.7 | 12.0 | 1993 | 27 or 37 weeks depending on payment level | Mixed entitlement, part family part individual | 12 weeks | .. | .. |
| Poland | 2.0 | 100.0 | 2.0 | 1996 | 156 weeks until child reaches age 4 | Family entitlement to be divided between parents as they choose | .. | .. | yes |
| Portugal | 4 weeks (10 days obligatory) | 100.0 | 4.0 | 1995 | 12 weeks to be shared | Mixed entitlement, part family part individual | .. | 1 month bonus if parents share intial leave and father takes 2 weeks of paternity leave (the latter compulsory) | .. |
| Slovak Republic | .. | .. | .. | .. | 136.0 | Family entitlement to be divided between parents as they choose | .. | .. | .. |
| Slovenia | 13.0 | 26.9 | 3.5 | 2003 | 37 weeks | Family entitlement to be divided between parents as they choose | .. | .. | .. |
| Spain | 3.0 | 100.0 | 3.0 | 2007 | 156 weeks per parent - unpaid | Individual entitlement | .. | .. | yes |
| Sweden | 10.0 | 80.0 | 8.0 | 1980 | 68.6 weeks in total: 8.5 weeks reserved for each parent and 51.6 to be split into half (the latter can be transferred between parents) | Mixed entitlement, part family part individual | 8.5 weeks | Gender equality bonus: parents receive €5.6 each per day for every day they use the leave equally | .. |
| Switzerland | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Turkey | .. | .. | .. | .. | 26.0 | .. | .. | .. | |
| United Kingdom | 2.0 | 20.0 | 0.4 | 2003 | 13 weeks per parent - unpaid | Individual entitlement | .. | .. | yes |
| United States6 | .. | .. | .. | 1993 | 12 weeks unpaid | .. | .. | .. | .. |
Information refers to the entitlement for paternity leave in a strict sense and the bonus (for example, Germany) or father quota included in some parental leave regulations (for example, Finland, Iceland and Norway). In Finland,
The “rate of allowance” is defined as the ratio between the full-time equivalent payment and the corresponding entitlement in number of weeks.
Information refers to parental leave and subsequent prolonged periods of paid leave to care for young children (sometimes under a different name as for example, “childcare leave” or “Home care leave”, or the Complément de Libre Choix d’Activité in France). In all, prolonged periods of leave can be taken in Austria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Finland, Germany, Norway, Poland and Spain.
In Australia, the introduction of two weeks paid paternity leave will take place from 1 January 2013.
This 8 weeks correpond to the bonus given if fathers make use of 2 months of parental leave.
Through the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), entitled eligible employees may take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, employment-protected leave in a 12-month period for specific family and medical reasons. Although the table presents federal statutory entitlements, the United States also has parental leave schemes at the state level. Ten states plus the District of Columbia have laws that give some male workers employment-protected paternity leave. The length of leave varies between 4 and 18 weeks.
Source: Moss (2012) and OECD (2012b) - indicator PF2.5