Netherlands: bill adopted to introduce nine weeks of partially paid parental leave

On 10 October, the Dutch Senate approved the paid parental leave bill, which will come into force on 2 August 2022. The bill adheres to the provisions of the EU directive on the work-life balance of parents and carers and introduces a two-month (nine weeks) period of paid parental leave, which is non-transferable from one parent to the other. At present, parents in the Netherlands can take 26 weeks of parental leave in the first eight years of their child’s life. However only a third of parents actually make use of this allowance, as it is unpaid unless a company or collective agreement dictates otherwise. The government has therefore decided to cover the first nine weeks of the 26 weeks of parental leave. Parents will receive compensation of no more than 70% of their daily wage. To be eligible for this partial payment of wages, the nine weeks of leave must be taken during the first year of the child’s life. “By paying parental leave in the first year, we are reducing the barrier for many families to actually take parental leave,” says Wouter Koolmees, the Netherlands’ Minister of Social Affairs and Employment. The parental leave allowance will also be open to parents whose child is less than one year of age when the law comes into force if they have not yet fully exercised their right to parental leave. Finally, leave not taken in the first year can be added to the 17 remaining weeks of unpaid leave and be taken until the child’s 8th birthday, but without pay. Social partners will however be able to strike more favourable agreements.