Paternity Leave

Czechland has just approved a week of paternity leave to allow fathers to spend time with newborn children.  Dad won't have to take vacation days or unpaid leave.  The one-week leave is to be taken within the first six weeks of birth.  If the father has health insurance then he will receive 70% of his base salary.

This 70% of salary is based on a monthly income of 15.000 - 25.000 Kč ($588 - $980; €555 - €925).  Those with higher monthly salaries could be better off taking vacation days off instead.

Fathers already do have the option to take over maternity leave from the mothers after seven weeks.  This allows the father to take advantage of the 156-week parental leave but at a lower flat rate.

About 100,000 babies are born in Czechland each year.

The Denmark, France, Spain, Sweden and the UK all grant about two weeks of official paternity leave.  Finland allows 11 weeks and Norway gives 14 weeks in order to strengthen the ties between the parents and newborns.

Update 2019:  The EU requires that paternity leave will need to be extended to ten days.

Update:  In 2021, Czechland extended paternity leave to two weeks effective 1.1.2022.