Increased Paternity Leave

Back in 2016 the Czech government gave new a week's paternity leave to new fathers.  The leave was to be taken within the first six weeks of birth at 70% of the father's base salary.

In 2019, the EU required that paternity leave be at least two weeks beginning no later than 1 August 2022.

In July the Chamber of Deputies approved the extension to two weeks and it was confirmed this week by the Senate.  Now President Zeman just needs to sign it and it will become effective 1 January 2022.  

It's a done deal that it will be signed since the EU will require it anyway.  Czechland will just be compliant seven months early.

One cool thing is that if the newborn child is hospitalised during the first six weeks since birth then the father can delay taking paternity leave until the child is released to go home.  Basically if the child has to be in an incubator then the father doesn't have contact with the child and the point of paternity leave is for the father to help care for the baby.