It is not always easy to combine work and taking care of children. As a parent or caretaker, you therefore have the right to birth leave, parental, adoption or foster leave. Continue reading for a summary of the main terms and conditions.
If your wife or partner has given birth, you are entitled, as her partner, to birth leave. Nationwide agreements have been put in place for this. For more information, visit the website of the central government (Rijksoverheid).
You are eligible for parental leave until your child reaches the age of eight. You reach agreements about this with your employer. By law, you have a right to parental leave, a portion of which partially continues to be paid by your employer. With regard to the partial continued payment during unpaid leave, the conditions laid down in the collective labour agreement (CAO) apply. The CAO is in keeping with the Work and Care Act. Effective 1 August 2022, the following will apply:
If you wish to take parental leave, you must request this from your employer in writing at least two months prior to the start of the leave. The date on which the leave will start or end will depend upon when the maternity leave ended or when the care of the child began. The employer is permitted to change the scheduling of the leave up to four weeks before it starts in case of serious business or operational interests.
You are entitled to take six weeks of leave if you adopt a child or take on a foster child, whose care and upbringing you have committed to for the long term. While this leave is in principle unpaid, the employee is granted a benefit by virtue of the Work and Care Act. More information can be found on the website of the central government.
If you wish to take more leave or leave for a longer period, you can discuss the options with your employer.
