Parental Leave Policies
- As noted in the History section, Belgium has seen a large influx of female workers over the last century, thus the need for leave policies has become a major issue in Belgian policy.
- Current Parental Leave Policy:
- The most basic for was enacted in 1960.
- Currently, only women can take leave and must be employed for atleast six months prior to taking leave.
- Women are allotted 6 months leave while only 15 weeks are paid leave.
- They recieve 82% or earnings for the first month and 75% of earnings for the remaining 11 weeks.
- Benefits are payable seven weeks prior to a woman's due date and eight weeks after birth.
- In 2002, policies were introduced to allow new fathers 10 days of paid leave.
- Funding:
- Employer and employee payroll taxes fund the benefits.
- The Belgian government subsidizes the management of the social security system, which administers the benefits.
- Government subsidization of costs that businesses bear is a major reason that policies in place can be so successful.
- Additionally, full-time Belgian employees recieve 20 days of paid vacation per year and an additional 10 days for public holidays.
References:
Bussemaker, Jet and Kees van Kersbergen. 1999. “Contemporary Socialist-Capitalist Welfare States and Gender Inequality”. Pp. 15-46 in Gender and Welfare State Regimes, edited by D. Saintsbury. Oxford University Press.
Columbia University. 2004. Belgium. New York: The Clearinghouse on International
Developments in Child, Youth and Family Policies at Columbia University.
Retrieved February 20, 2008 (http://www.childpolicyintl.org/countries/
belgium.html#maternity).
Evans, John M. 2000. “Firms’ Contribution to the Reconciliation between Work and
Family Life.” Retrieved February 27, 2008. (http://idasa.repec.org/ploec/elsaaa/us-en.html).
Vancouver, Canada: University of British Columbia Press.
Gornick, Janet C. and Marcia K. Meyers. 2003. Families That Work: Policies for
Reconciling Parenthood and Employment. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.
