France: compulsory paternity leave

Folded the number of days

The French government has decided to double the maternity leave paid in the country to 28 days, of which 7 working days will be compulsory. The measure, announced by President Emmanuel Macron, will come into force in July 2021 and is expected to cost the French social security system an additional 500,000 euros (R$3.1 million) per year.

With the reform, France will join the group of countries that grant more days to parents, alongside Finland (9 weeks), Portugal (5 weeks), Slovenia, Spain and Lithuania (4), according to the European Parliament's March 2019 survey. On average, disregarding the change announced by France, the average maternity leave in the European Union is 12.5 days.

French men parents are also entitled to additional unpaid leave, in which they can receive social benefits. The period varies from six months to three years, depending on the number of children, and can be divided between the couple.