International Review of Leave Policies and Related Research 2008
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EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS RESEARCH SERIES NO. 100 International Review of Leave Policies and Related Research 2008 JULY 2008 EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS RESEARCH SERIES NO. 100 International Review of Leave Policies and Related Research 2008 BY Edited by Peter Moss, Institute of Education University of London and Marta Korintus, Institute for Social Policy and Labour, Budapest About EMAR Employment Market Analysis and Research (EMAR) is a multi-disciplinary team of economists, social researchers and statisticians based in the Employment Relations Directorate of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. Our role is to provide the evidence base for good policy making in employment relations, labour market and equality and discrimination at work. We do this through: • Conducting periodic socio-economic benchmark surveys • Commissioning external research reports • Conducting in-house research and analysis • Assessing the regulatory impact of new employment laws • Monitoring and evaluating the impact of government policies We publicly disseminate the results of this research through BERR’s Employment Relations Research Series and other publications. For further details of EMAR's work please see our web pages at: http://www.berr.gov.uk/employment/research-evaluation. About this publication The project manager for this report was Steven P Taylor, Senior Research Officer in the Employment Market Analysis and Research (EMAR) branch. Published in July 2008 by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. URN 08/1057 This publication can be ordered at: www.berr.gov.uk/publications. Click the ‘Browse by subject’ button, then select ‘Employment Relations Research’. Alternatively, call BERR’s Publications Orderline on 0845 015 0010 (+44 845 015 0010) and ask for URN 08/1057, or email them at: [email protected]. Postal enquiries should be addressed to: Employment Market Analysis and Research Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bay 4107 1 Victoria Street London SW1H 0ET UNITED KINGDOM Email enquiries should be addressed to: [email protected]. ii Contents Glossary ................................................................................. vii Executive summary....................................................................1 Introduction ............................................................................ 11 Section 1 - Articles 1.1.1 Hungary: Views of the 22–35 years old population concerning parental leave and childcare…………………………………15 1.1.2 Hungary: mother’s role – employment versus family…………….22 1.1.3 Hungary: possibilities of and barriers to the employment of women on childcare leave...........................30 1.1.4 The Czech Republic: discussant comments..........................34 1.1.5 Slovenia: discussant comments……………………………………………….37 1.2.1 Making fatherhood visible at work: trends in corporate support for fathers taking parental leave in Sweden………………44 1.2.2 Family leave policies and organisational mediation………………..63 1.3.1 Making parental leave parental: an overview of policies to increase fathers’ use of leave……………………………………………………79 1.3.2 Making parental leave parental: fathers on leave in Iceland….85 Section 2 – Country notes on leave policies and research 2.1 Introduction to country notes............................................ 92 2.2 Australia ...................................................................... 121 2.3 Austria......................................................................... 134 2.4 Belgium ....................................................................... 142 2.5 Canada........................................................................ 153 2.6 Czech Republic............................................................. 165 2.7 Denmark ..................................................................... 171 2.8 Estonia ........................................................................ 178 iii 2.9 Finland ........................................................................ 184 2.10 France......................................................................... 200 2.11 Germany ..................................................................... 207 2.12 Greece ........................................................................ 215 2.13 Hungary ...................................................................... 225 2.14 Iceland ........................................................................ 233 2.15 Ireland ........................................................................ 241 2.16 Italy............................................................................ 250 2.17 The Netherlands........................................................... 256 2.18 Norway........................................................................ 270 2.19 Poland......................................................................... 278 2.20 Portugal....................................................................... 291 2.21 Slovenia ...................................................................... 300 2.22 South Africa................................................................. 307 2.23 Spain .......................................................................... 315 2.24 Sweden ....................................................................... 332 2.25 United Kingdom............................................................ 345 2.26 United States............................................................... 355 Annexes 1 A formal network of experts on leave policies and research . 361 2 Network members at April 2008 and other contributors to country notes ............................................................... 363 3 The BERR Employment Relations Research Series .............. 369 iv Glossary This report is about leave entitlements, mainly for workers with dependant children. As the report shows, working parents today in most countries are entitled to a range of different types of leave, going under a variety of different names. Moreover, in a number of countries the distinction between types of leave is increasingly blurred. This glossary gives definitions for four of the most common types of leave, the first three of which are found in most countries. Maternity leave Leave generally available to mothers only (except in a few cases where part of the leave can be transferred to other carers under certain circumstances). It is usually understood to be a health and welfare measure, intended to protect the health of the mother and newborn child, just before, during and immediately after childbirth Paternity leave Leave generally available to fathers only, usually to be taken soon after the birth of a child, and intended to enable the father to spend time with his partner, new child and older children. Parental leave Leave generally available equally to mothers and fathers, either as a non-transferable individual right (i.e. both parents have an entitlement to an equal amount of leave) or as a family right that parents can divide between themselves as they choose; in some countries, part of parental leave is an individual right, the remainder a family right. It is generally understood to be a care measure, intended to give parents the opportunity to spend time caring for a young child; it usually can only be taken after the end of maternity leave. In some cases, parents can choose to take all or part of their parental leave on a part-time basis. In some countries, parental leave is supplemented by a further period of leave intended also as a care measure, and given various names, such as ‘childcare leave’ or ‘home care leave’. v Career break Leave generally open to all employees, but not restricted to providing care and available to be taken across the life course. Less common as an entitlement than the three types of leave outlined above. vi Executive Summary This report is produced by an international network on leave policy and research, consisting of over 40 experts from 24 countries, mostly in Europe. The network covers policies for parents and others with care responsibilities, including for adult relatives, as well as policies available to the whole population such as life course career breaks and time accounts. But initially, priority is being given to leave policies focused on the care of children. Among the purposes of this network are: the exchange of information about policies, both in individual countries and by international organisations, and research on leave policies; the provision of a forum for the cross-national discussion of issues and trends in policy and research; and providing a source of regularly updated information on policies and research. The network organises an annual seminar, and this report includes papers and discussions from the seminar held by the network in Budapest in October 2007. The main part of the report consists of 25 ‘country notes’, providing information on current leave policies in the countries represented in the network, recent developments in policy, information on take-up, and a listing of recent publications and ongoing research. Introduction (Peter Moss and Marta Korintus) This section provides an overview of the network’s October 2007 seminar. The programme included presentations on recent policy developments in selected countries, on the work on leave and related policies being undertaken by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, and on a number of policy themes and issues, including: