Four Countries with the Best Parental Leave

Finland, Germany, Iceland, and Norway. The international human resources consulting firm Global People Strategist (GPS) views a country’s parental leave policy as often “a reflection of how the country views gender equality. By dividing responsibilities between both parents, a country encourages gender equality and breaks free from traditional gender roles.” GPS considers these four countries to have the best of parental leave policies:

Finland: Beginning in 2021, both parents are entitled to parental leave of 164 days, or twenty-six weeks, each. Parents can transfer sixty-nine days from their quota to the other parent. A parental allowance is paid until the child is thirteen weeks old. Single parents are entitled to use the parental allowances of both parents. Out of those weeks, 70 percent of the employees’ salaries are paid; for the remaining weeks, there is a flat rate. GPS notes that “despite these generous leave allowances, fathers in Finland do not use their allotment, reflecting a still stubborn gender imbalance in the country.”

Germany: Workers are entitled to parental leave for their natural or adopted child and can request up to three years of parental leave until the child reaches three. While on parental leave, an employee may work up to thirty hours a week. During twelve months of parental leave (fourteen months if both parents take leave), the government pays 67 percent of their average monthly income (but no more than €1,800 or less than €300--$1,980 and $330 in July 2023 exchange rates). If the employees have two children under the age of three years, or three or more children under the age of six, the allowance is increased by 10 percent.

Iceland. Parents are given thirty-nine weeks of paid leave, given out of 80 percent of the worker’s salary. Thirteen weeks are given for each parent, and the remaining thirteen weeks can be split however the parents choose.

Norway. A worker is entitled to a leave of absence for up to twelve weeks during her pregnancy. After childbirth, the mother will take a leave of absence for the first six weeks. The parental benefit lasts 49 weeks (15 weeks for each parent), with 100 percent wage coverage or 59 weeks (19 weeks reserved for each parent) with 80 percent of wages covered. Parents have the right to take leave until the child reaches three years of age.

Source: Four Countries with the Best Parental Leave Laws,” Global People Strategy.com, March 23, 2021, https://www.globalpeoplestrategist.com/4-countries-with-the-best-parental-leave-laws/.