Czech Government to Substantially Increase Parental Leave Benefits

The government is expected to approve the increase in parental allowance by the end of the year

Katrina Modrá

Written by Katrina Modrá Published on 07.11.2018 09:02:06 (updated on 07.11.2018) Reading time: 1 minute

Parents who stay home with their young children should soon receive 80,000 CZK more than the current allowance, reports Maminka.cz.

Parental benefits are set to rise from 220,000 CZK to 300,000 CZK by the year 2020.

The amendment was proposed by Minister of Labor and Social Affairs and Finance Jana Maláčová (CSSD) and Alena Schillerová (ANO); the newly proposed allowance will cost the government more than 7 billion CZK a year.

The primary reason for the boost in benefits? The state hasn’t increased its payout to new parents for more than a decade. The government is expected to approve the increase in parental allowance by the end of the year.

Parental allowance now stands at 220,000 CZK; 330,000 CZK for twins and multiples.

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Mothers in the Czech Republic are currently entitled to 20 weeks of postnatal maternity support, which can be split with the father as shared parental leave after the sixth week.

Parents, who receive 70 percent of their base salary, can decide on how the funds are disbursed over a period of four years.

As of February 2018, the new paternity leave entitlement for fathers has come into effect in the Czech Republic. The new seven-day entitlement, which allows fathers to claim up to 70% of their salary, is intended to encourage father’s early involvement in caring for young children.

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According to data from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, about 285,000 people receive a parental allowance today. More than half of them choose between 6,000 and 7,600 CZK per month.

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