Period for Advance Notification for Going on Parental Leave Should Be Longer

The Chamber supports the changes that make using the parental benefit more flexible and allow better balancing of work and family life. In the Chamber’s opinion, it is still important that amendment of the law would extend the terms for advance notification of going to and returning from the parental leave. We have made the relevant proposal to the Riigikogu’s Social Affairs Committee.

Today, an employee is required to notify the employer of going to or suspending the parental leave only 14 calendar days in advance. In the Chamber’s opinion it is an unreasonably short period of time during which it is difficult for the employer to find a substitute. Furthermore, today’s system is unfair towards those who substitute employees who are on parental leave. In the Chamber’s opinion the term for advance notice of the leave should depend on the duration of the leave. The maximum term for advance notice could be for example 23 months.

The draft act sent to the Riigikogu no longer includes the article according to which parents had the right to change the schedule of parental benefit twice a year, maximum. Such restriction will help to ensure that a parent changes the parental benefit schedule for example each month. The Chamber proposed to add to the draft act a provision according to which a parent could have the right to suspend once receiving of the parental benefit and in the future it could be done in agreement with the employer. If the Social Affairs Committee does not consider it possible to take the proposal into account, the Chamber proposes to restore in the draft act the provision according to which amendments can be made maximum twice a year.