STA, 14 November 2019 - The government has adopted changes to the parental protection and family benefits act which extend maternity and paternity leave, and improve the financial standing of families when the mother is not employed and of student families.
In case of twins or even more newborns, the father will now get another 10 days of parental leave for each baby. The same rule will apply in case of adoption.
The government explained on Thursday that longer leave for fathers was one of the measures set down in the resolution on family policy for 2018-2028.
Under the changes, foster parents will also qualify for parental leave, getting 30 days for a pre-school child (older than 11 months but who has not yet finished first grade).
The changes also raise the lowest pay for maternity, paternity and parental leave to EUR 402 net a month, which equals the national minimal income.
Also entitled to pay in the same amount will be parents who are not entitled to maternity, paternity or parental pay because they do not pay parenthood insurance - a special tax deducted from monthly gross wages.
Most often these parents are students or student families, but they will be able to benefit from the change only for children born as of 1 January 2022.
Maternity pay for pregnant women who are jobless when going on maternity leave will also be raised to the same sum, under the condition that they worked for at least 12 months in the past three years.
This means that all Slovenian women citizens, regardless of their status, will get a minimum maternity and parental pay, a commitment from the coalition agreement.
Slovenia is quite generous with paid maternity, paternity and parental leave, with the mother being able to take an entire year off for a newborn.
However, of the full 365 days, 260 days can be used either by the mother or the father, although it is usually mothers who stay at home for the whole year.
There is also an additional 30 days of leave as an exclusive right of fathers, which is increasingly popular.
Parents are moreover protected in employment legislation, which prevents employers from dismissing parents on maternity, paternity or parental leave.
