Longer leave for parents of premature babies. The Senate gives the green light

The entire amendment assumes that parents of prematurely born children and those hospitalized after birth will have an extended period maternity leave – with amendments – 88 senators voted.

Amendment to the Labor Code and certain other acts extends maternity leave for parents of premature babies and children requiring hospitalization after birth.

One of the adopted amendments assumes changes to the Law on Higher Education and Science. The provision is intended to extend the period of supplementary maternity leave deadline for submitting the doctoral dissertation.

The second change gives eligible parents the right to supplementary maternity leave the right to claim compensationwhich are provided for in the Equal Treatment Act.

According to the rules adopted in the amendment, extended maternity leave for parents of children born before the 28th week of pregnancy or those who weighed less than 1,000 g on the day of birth will amount to no more than 15 weeks.

For parents of children born before the 36th week of pregnancy or born at term but requiring hospitalization – it will be a maximum of eight weeks.

The regulations specify that to determine the amount of supplementary maternity leave, the periods of the child's stay in hospital until the 8th week or 15th week after delivery will be added up, and a partial week will be rounded up to a full week. This regulation takes into account the intervals between subsequent hospitalizations of the child.

The leave is to be granted to mothers or fathers, as well as legal guardians, foster parents and adoptive parents. Amount of payment for extended maternity leave will be 100 percent its basis – is assumed in the amendment, which will now be discussed by MPs again.