The Government has announced plans to give all parents the same amount of paid parental leave in an effort to increase gender equality and encourage more dads in Finland to take time off work and spend it with their young children.
“The family leave reform is the Government’s investment in the future of children and the wellbeing of families” says Aino-Kaisa Pekonen (Left) the Minister of Social Affairs and Health.
“The reform will be a major change in attitudes, as it will improve equality between parents and make the lives of diverse families easier. The reform will support all kinds of families and ensure equal leaves for children regardless of the form of the family” she explains.
After the reforms the total amount of paid parental leave increases to more than 14 months, which means each parent would receive an equal quota of 164 days each - around 6.6 months. Parents can transfer up to 69 days to the other parent if they want.
A pregnant parent would be entitled to a separate paid leave allowance approximately one month before the parental leave allowance begins.
A single parent could use the paid leave allowance quota for both parents.
Officials are currently working on the legislation required to make the plan a reality, and it’s expected to come into force from autumn 2021 at the earliest, with a price tag of €100 million.