Maternity and paternity leave in Italy
In Italy, maternity and paternity leave policies are well established and provide new parents with ample time to rest and adjust. According to the current policy, maternity leave can be divided into two phases of rest.
Stage 1: 8 weeks before delivery. During this time, expectant mothers can choose to take time off to make physical and mental adjustments to prepare for the arrival of a new life. During this leave, Social Security will pay 80% of the employee's standard salary for maternity leave, so that the new parents can also receive some financial support.
Stage 2: 12 weeks postpartum. After the birth of a child, the mother can continue to take 12 weeks of leave, during which time social security will also pay 80% of the employee's standard salary. This way, new mothers have enough time to adjust to their new roles while also ensuring the health of the mother and baby.
In addition, collective agreements in many sectors stipulate that employers are required to make up an additional 20 per cent of the employee's salary during the employee's maternity leave. This initiative aims to further reduce the financial burden on new parents so that they can better focus on parenting.
In Italy, paternity leave is also known as "paternity leave". New fathers are entitled to 10 days of paid paternity leave during the first 5 months of their child's birth. During this time, the salary is paid in full by social security. The policy of paternity leave encourages fathers to be more involved in the child-rearing process, which is conducive to family harmony and the healthy development of children.