Paternity and parental leave policies across the European Union : assessment of current provision.
Date: 2018-08-06
Institutions: Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
Subjects: EU Member State, child care, equal treatment, family policy, gender equality, leave on social grounds, parental leave, paternity leave, social rights, working conditions

Paternity and parental 
leave policies across 
the European Union

Assessment of current provision

PB

Employment,
1
Social Affairs 
and Inclusion

This  policy  memo  provides  an  overview  of  the  current 
paternity and parental leave provisions across EU Member 
States, and examines these provisions against the changes 
proposed  within  the  framework  of  the  European  Pillar  of 
Social Rights and the proposal for a Directive on Work-Life 
Balance for Parents and Carers.

As  of  2018,  all  EU  Member  States  offer  some  form  of 
paternity  and/or  parental  leave  following  the  birth  of  a 
child.  However,  there  are  large  variations  in  terms  of  the 
leave  length,  compensation  levels  and  whether  leave  is  a 
family or individual right.

Sometimes  the  distinction  between  paternity  and  parental 
leave can be unclear and confusing. This is because some 
countries  do  not  offer  paternity  leave  per  se,  but  provide 
a  share  of  parental  leave  reserved  exclusively  for  fathers. 
Typically, leave payments come from contributory insurance 
funds,  financed  by  employers  and  often  employees,  and 
sometimes from general taxation (Blum et al. 2017).

The proposed Directive would establish leave as an individual 
and non-transferable right to encourage fathers to be more 
involved  in  childcare.  Several  studies  have  pointed  to  the 
potential benefits of such ‘fathers’ leave’:

• 

The uptake of parental leave among fathers is shown to 
be much higher when leave is their individual and non-
transferable right (Schulze & Gergoric 2015);

•  Uptake among fathers increased in several EU countries 
after  the  introduction  of  dedicated  leave  entitlements 

for fathers (so called ‘daddy quotas’) (OECD 2016; Van 
Belle 2016);

• 

• 

Fathers’ leave influences the sharing of domestic work 
by  men  (Hook  2006;  Nepomnyaschy  &  Waldfogel 
2007); and

A positive relationship has been shown between men’s 
engagement in unpaid work and women’s employment 
rates (Hook 2006; Kotsadam & Finseraas 2011; Norman 
et al. 2014).

Definitions:

Paternity leave
A  short  period  of  leave  available  to  fathers 
usually immediately after the birth of a child;

Parental leave
A period of leave to care for children in their 
first years of life; 

Individual entitlement/ 
Non-transferability of leave
A  period  of  leave  time  that  is  reserved  for 
the use of the mother or father only; 

Family right to leave
Leave is a family right and can be transferred 
between parents. 

Source: Blum et al. (2017); Van Belle (2016). 

With  the  establishment  of  the  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights,  the  European  Commission  aimed  to  take  a  step 
towards building a more inclusive and socially just Europe, and to deliver a positive impact on people’s lives. New 
Start is one of the initiatives that have been launched under the Pillar. The objective of this initiative is to enable 
parents and carers to balance their professional and family responsibilities, and to encourage a more equal sharing 
of caring responsibilities between women and men. New Start aims to modernise the existing EU legal framework 
by setting a number of new or higher minimum standards for parental, paternity and carers’ leave. In 2017, the 
European Commission adopted a proposal for a Directive on Work-Life Balance for Parents and Carers. The proposal 
includes: 

The introduction of paternity leave of at least 10 days around the time of birth of the child, compensated 
at least at the level of sick pay;

The strengthening of parental leave by making the 4 months of leave non-transferable between parents 
and compensated at least at sick pay level; parental leave may be taken in a flexible way until a child is 
12 years old; 

The  introduction  of  carers’  leave  of  5  days  per  year  for  workers  caring  for  seriously  ill  or  dependant 
relatives, which would be compensated at least at sick pay level; and 

The extension of the right to request flexible working arrangements for all working parents of children 
up to 12 and carers with dependent relatives.

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Who benefits from paternity and parental leave taken by fathers?

Children

Mothers

Fathers

Fathers’ participation in children’s lives from birth has positive, long-lasting outcomes for child development, 
such as improved cognitive and emotional outcomes and physical health.

Acknowledgement  by  employers  that  both  mothers  and  fathers  have  caring  responsibilities  leads  to 
improved gender equality in the labour market.

Fathers involved in their children’s lives have longer, healthier lives, better relationships and more personal 
satisfaction.

Employers

Paid  leave  has  positive  impacts  on  businesses,  promoting  and  reducing  employee  retention,  increasing 
morale and productivity, and reducing absenteeism and staff turnover.

Families 

More equal share of professional and domestic responsibilities has a positive impact on work-life balance 
in families.

Sources: Eurofound (2015); O’Brien & Wall (2017); Schulze & Gergoric (2015); Van Belle (2016). 

Paternity leave 

At present, the length and compensation of paternity leave 
is  regulated  at  the  national  level,  and  varies  considerably 
across Member States. Overall, 17 Member States  already 

meet the proposed minimum of 2 weeks’ paternity leave at 
the  time  of  the  child’s  birth.  However,  of  these  countries, 
only 13 offer 2 weeks of well-paid paternity leave. 

FIGURE 1: PATERNITY LEAVE IS OFFERED IN NEARLY ALL EU28 MEMBER STATES BUT THE LENGTH AND 
COMPENSATION LEVELS VARY

s
k
e
e
W

9

8

7

6

5

44

3

2

1

0

AT BE BG CY CZ DE DK EE EL ES FI FR HU HR IE IT LV LT LU MT NL PL PT RO SE SI SK UK

weeks well-paid

additional weeks (flat rate or low-paid)

work-life balance directive proposal

Source: Based on Blum et al. (2017) and European Platform for Investing in Children (2018). 
Note: Well paid is defined as at least 66 % of previous earnings. This threshold is set by the European Commission (2010) and indicates that earnings  
below 66 % create a risk of a low wage trap. 

2

3

Fathers  commonly  take  a  few  days  off  immediately  after 
their  child  is  born  (usually  paternity  leave).  But  they 
rarely extend this period into longer parental leave (Van 
Belle 2016). Subsequent parental leave can help to maintain 
a balance of parental care in the first few years of a child’s 
life.  However,  90  %  of  fathers  across  the  EU  do  not  use 
parental leave entitlements (Borg 2018). 

Parental leave

Across  the  EU,  parental  leave  is  an  individual  right  in  16 
Member States; it is a mix of an individual and family right in 2 
Member States; and a family right in 10 Member States. Only 
10 EU countries have a period of leave reserved for fathers, 
but,  even  in  these  countries,  this  entitlement  can  often  be 
transferred to mothers. In addition, while 13 Member States 
offer a well-paid parental leave, only in 10 is this period of 
well-paid leave equal to or longer than 8 weeks (which is the 
minimum entitlement proposed by the new Directive). 

FIGURE 2: JUST OVER A THIRD OF EU28 MEMBER STATES RESERVE A PROPORTION OF PARENTAL LEAVE TO 
FATHERS. IN ADDITION, PARENTAL LEAVE IS OFTEN NOT WELL PAID

Individual entitlement

Mixed
entitlement

Family entitlement

s
h
t
n
o
M

70

40

30

20

10

0

BE CZ DE DK EL ES FR HR IE IT LU MT NL PT SI UK RO SE AT BG CY EE FIFI HU LV LT PL SK

well-paid (at least 66 % of previous earnings or above)

paid (flat rate and/or earnings related)

not paid 

work-life balance directive proposal – 4 months

proportion reserved to fathers

Sources: Based on Blum et al. (2017); European Platform for Investing in Children (2018).
Note: Well paid is defined as at least 66 % of previous earnings. This threshold is set by the European Commission (2010) and indicates that earnings  
below 66 % create a risk of a low wage trap. 

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How does the new Directive propose to tackle challenges for the uptake of 
paternity and parental leave?

Challenges for the uptake of paternity and parental 
leave by fathers

How the new Directive is proposing to tackle these 
challenges

Low compensation levels act as a strong disincentive to take 
leave

Guaranteeing that leave provisions are paid 

Lack of flexibility in the timing of leave

Extending the timeframe when leave can be taken

Cultural norms and perceptions about gender roles in child 
rearing

Securing part of leave for fathers to provide incentives for 
men to assume an equal share of caring responsibilities 

Eligibility criteria (e.g. employment length)

Providing the right to paid leave to all workers

Sources: Eurofound (2015), Schulze and Gergoric (2015), Van Belle (2016). 

The proposal for a new Directive recommends that the leave 
provisions should be compensated at least at the level of sick 
pay. However, as shown in Figure 3, sick pay compensation 
levels  vary  considerably  across  the  EU28.  Overall,  only  14 
Member  States  offer  sick  pay  that  could  be  considered  as 
well paid (at least 66 % of previous earnings). 

The European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and 
Social  Affairs  reviewed  the  proposal  for  the  Directive  and 
suggested increasing the compensation level to at least the 
equivalent of 75 % of the worker’s gross wage. At present, 
only eight Member States offer this level of sick pay. 

Other  of  the  European  Parliament’s  amendments  to  the 
draft Recommendation include: 

• 

• 

Emphasising the importance of the availability of quality, 
accessible and affordable childcare infrastructure as a 
work-life balance reconciliation measure;

Allowing parents to take leave until the child is 10 years 
old; and

•  When  planning  leave  provision,  taking  into  account 
the  constraints  of  micro  and  small  and  medium-sized 
enterprises. 

FIGURE 3: ONLY HALF OF THE EU28 HAVE SICK PAY COMPENSATION LEVELS THAT ARE WELL PAID

100%

80%

e
g
a
t
n
e
c
r
e
P

60%

40%

20%

0%

AT BE BG CY CZ DE DK EE EL ES FI FR HU HR IE IT LV LT LU MT NL PL PT RO SE SI SK UK

sick pay compensation level

well-paid compensation level (at least 66 % of previous earnings)

75 % compensation level

Source: Adapted based on Spasova et al. (2016). 
Note: Well paid is defined as at least 66 % of previous earnings. This threshold is set by the European Commission (2010) and indicates that earnings below 66 
% create a risk of a low wage trap. 

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In sum

Decisions  about  childcare  responsibilities  are  naturally 
taken by families themselves. Available evidence shows that 
fathers’ involvement in childcare has considerable benefits 
for  the  child,  fathers,  mothers  and  employers.  However, 
data also show that uptake of paternity leave and fathers’ 
parental leave is limited in the EU due to various barriers. 
By reserving a proportion of leave for fathers, governments 
can  support  families  in  the  more  equal  sharing  of  care 
responsibilities. In addition, policies can lessen the financial 
disincentives  by  reducing  the  opportunity  cost  to  those 
parents  who  choose  to  take  leave  if  wage  replacement  is 
at a high level. 

Sources:

Blum, S., Koslowski, A. & Moss, P. (eds.), 13th International 
Review of Leave Policies and Related Research, 
International Network on Leave Policies and Research, 
2017. As of 16 April 2018:  
http://www.leavenetwork.org/fileadmin/Leavenetwork/
Annual_reviews/2017_Leave_Review_2017_final.pdf 

European Platform for Investing in Children. Country 
Profiles, 2018. As of 16 April 2018: 
http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.
jsp?catId=1248&langId=en 

Hook, J.L., ‘Care in Context: Men’s unpaid work in 20 
countries, 1965-2003’, American Sociological Review, Vol 
71, 2006, pp. 639-660.

Kotsadam, A. & Finseraas, H., ‘The State Intervenes in 
the Battle of the Sexes: Causal effects of paternity leave’, 
Social Science Research, Vol 40, No 6, 2011, pp. 1611-
1622. 

Nepomnyaschy, L. & Waldfogel, J., ‘Paternity Leave 
and Fathers’ Involvement with their Young Children’, 
Community, Work & Family, Vol 10, No 4, 2007, pp. 427-
453.

Norman, H., Elliot, M. & Fagan, C., ‘Which Fathers are the 
Most Involved in Taking Care of their Toddlers in the UK? 
An investigation of the predictors of paternal involvement’, 
Community, Work & Family, Vol 17, No 2, 2014, pp. 163-
180.

Borg, A., Work-life Balance: Public hearing: Work-life 
balance for parents and carers, presentation at the 
European Parliament, Brussels, 21 February 2018. 

O’Brien, M. & Wall, K. (eds.), Comparative Perspectives on 
Work-life Balance and Gender Equality. Fathers on leave 
alone, Springer Open, 2017.

Eurofound, Promoting Uptake of Parental and Paternity 
Leave Among Fathers in the European Union, Publications 
Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2015.

European Commission, Indicators for Monitoring the 
Employment Guidelines including Indicators for Additional 
Employment Analysis: 2009 compendium, 2010. 

European Parliament, Draft Report on the Proposal 
for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the 
Council on Work-life Balance for Parents and Carers and 
Repealing Council Directive 2010/18/EU, (COM(2017)0253 
– C8-0137/2017 – 2017/0085(COD)), Committee on 
Employment and Social Affairs, 2018. As of 16 April 2018: 
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/
getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&reference=PE-
618.193&format=PDF&language= 
EN&secondRef=01. 

European Pillar of Social Rights. As of 16 April 2018: 
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/
social-summit-european-pillar-social-rights-booklet_en.pdf 

OECD, Parental Leave: Where are the fathers?, policy brief, 
March 2016. 

Schulze, E. & Gergoric, M., Maternity, Paternity and 
Parental Leave: Data related to duration and compensation 
rates in the European Union, European Parliament, 
Brussels. 

Spasova, S., Bouget, D. & Vanhercke, B., Sick Pay 
and Sickness Benefit Schemes in the European Union, 
background report for the Social Protection Committee’s 
In-depth Review on sickness benefits, European Social 
Policy Network (ESPN), Brussels, 2016.

Szelewa, D., Presentation at the European Parliament, 
Public Hearing “Work-life balance for parents and carers”, 
2018. 

Van Belle, J., Paternity and Parental Leave Policies across 
the European Union, RAND Corporation, Santa Monica and 
Cambridge, 2016.

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Produced for the European Platform for Investing in Children (EPIC). 
Researchers: Barbara Janta and Katherine Stewart (RAND Europe).

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2018 
© European Union, 2018 
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