Paternity leave

What it means

Paternity leave is the common name for the period during which a newborn's father receives maternity benefit at the same time as the mother. It covers two weeks that can be taken within six weeks of the child's birth, that is while the mother is still drawing the benefit. The aim is to let the father be with the family in the first weeks without losing income.

In employment law it is time off that the employer must grant, and during it the employee receives no wages. The income is replaced by a benefit from the sickness insurance system paid by the Social Insurance Agency. Entitlement arises if the father meets the condition of prior sickness insurance to the extent set by law.

Paternity leave is separate from taking over care later. After six weeks from the birth the father may take over the child's care and receive maternity benefit instead of the mother, or later take parental leave. The exact conditions and durations should be checked in the current wording of the rules.

How it works in practice

The employee tells the employer when paternity leave will start and applies to the Social Insurance Agency for maternity benefit, attaching the child's birth certificate and a statement on care. The employer then records the period in payroll as unpaid leave due to maternity benefit, with no entitlement to wages.

While the benefit is paid, no contributions on wages are paid for the employee because there are no wages. The state covers their pension insurance for the period. For the payroll administrator it is important to report the period correctly in the monthly statement to the Social Insurance Agency and to remember it when calculating holiday entitlement.

For small companies we recommend a simple procedure: who receives the notice, who adjusts attendance and payroll, who tells the team about cover. Paternity leave is easy to plan in advance, as the due date is known months ahead and the two weeks are taken within a short window.

What to watch out for

The most common mistake is that the employer pays wages or holiday pay for the paternity period as if it were ordinary holiday. The father then receives both the benefit and wages, which has to be corrected later. The benefit period is recorded as unpaid leave and must be marked correctly in payroll.

Mind the prior insurance condition too. If the father works under an agreement outside an employment relationship or has changed employer with a gap in insurance, entitlement to the benefit may not arise. It is worth checking with the Social Insurance Agency before the birth so the family knows what income to expect.