EU Ministers Reject Plan to Extend Maternity Leave
"Earlier this week, European Union ministers rejected the European Parliament's proposal to extend maternity leave from 14 weeks of full pay to 20 weeks. Nevertheless, even current maternity leave in Europe far surpasses the Family and Medical Leave Act in the US, which only provides for 12 weeks of unpaid leave.
The ministers expressed concern about potential costs of the 20-week minimum leave, which passed European Parliament in October. Instead, member states stated their willingness to discuss the European Commission's original draft directive, which proposed extending maternity leave to 18 weeks.
The ministers also addressed paternity leave but elected to leave it out of the directive, which was primarily aimed at improving health and safety conditions for pregnant women or women who had just given birth."
What We Do
NCRW is a network of leading university and community based research, policy, and advocacy centers with a growing global reach dedicated to advancing rights and opportunities for women and girls. We also have a Corporate Circle comprised of senior diversity professionals from leading U.S. and global member companies and a Presidents Circle of college and university leaders who share our commitment. NCRW harnesses the collective power of its network to provide knowledge, analysis, and thought leadership on issues ranging from reducing women’s poverty to building a critical mass of women’s leadership across sectors.
Print-friendly
Send to friend