Proposed Law: additional Paternity Leave

In Israel a working woman who gives birth is entitled to 14 weeks of paid maternity leave. By law, since 1998, the father can take some of that time as paternity leave instead of the mother.

MK Tamar Zandberg (Meretz) has now proposed a law by which the father and mother should be allowed to take maternity and paternity leave together, at the same time. The law proposal was submitted on Sunday, and was passed by the Ministerial Legislation Committee.

This proposal has actually been proposed before, by Minister, then MK, Uri Ariel in the previous Knesset and it passed its initial reading, but never advanced beyond that. MK Zandberg has now resubmitted the proposal with alterations based on agreements between the relevant ministries and also with parties from both sides of the bench.

This specific slice of paternity leave would be for the period immediately after the birth, meaning it would be in addition to the fathers ability to later split the maternity leave with the mother. This additional paternity leave immediately after birth would grant the father 3 paid vacation days and 5 paid sick days.

Zandberg says that being a parent is not just the job of the mother but is a joint right of both parents together. This law proposal will allow fathers to help and to start the relationship  with their child.
(source: NRG)

On the other hand, Globes says that Finance Minister Yair Lapid voted against the bill. Lapid says he is in favor of it, but says there is no money to finance it and nobody has explained how it will be financed...



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