Paid parental leave extended further starting in 2022

From August 2022, paid parental leave in the Netherlands will extended by nine weeks to a total of 15 weeks, which must be taken in the first year of a child's life. During those extra weeks, benefits agency UWV will pay parents half of their daily wages, up to the limit of the maximum daily wage determined by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment. As of January 1 this year, it was 219.28 euros gross.

The extended paid parental leave should give more parents the opportunity to actually take that leave, according to Minister Wouter Koolmees of Social Affairs. "The corona crisis pressed our nose into the facts. More than ever we see how difficult it is to work and care at the same time," he said. "This makes it possible for about 200 thousand parents to have a job and at the same time spend more time at home."

Since January last year, partners in the Netherlands get 5 days paid parental leave immediately after the birth of their child. From 1 July 2020, they will also be able to take five weeks of paid leave in the first six months of their child's life. With the nine weeks added in August 2022, parents will have 15 weeks of partially paid partner leave.

Mothers have paid maternity leave for 16 to 20 weeks. From August 1, 2022 they will also have nine weeks extra partially paid parental leave.

Parents in the Netherlands can already take 26 weeks of parental leave in the first 8 years of their child's life, but that leave is unpaid unless arranged otherwise in a collective bargaining agreement or within a company. The nine weeks partially paid leave comes out of those 26 weeks, not on top.

Minister Ingrid van Engelshoven, responsible for emancipation affairs, hopes that this extra paid parental leave will help break the traditional division of tasks."Our tax system, our childcare and our norms and values often ensure that fathers work full-time and mothers work part-time, taking care of the children. As a result, new fathers sometimes feel compelled to continue working more hours and mothers to devote more time to care tasks. I want to get rid of that," she said.