Table of Contents:
1. Who is entitled to supplementary maternity leave?
2. How much supplementary leave is available for parents of premature babies?
3. How to apply for additional leave?
4. What is the amount of maternity benefit?
On March 19, 2025, amendments to the Act of December 6, 2024, on the amendment of the Labor Code and certain other acts will come into effect, including changes related to maternity leave. The law introduces supplementary maternity leave of up to 8 weeks or up to 15 weeks, depending on the period of hospitalization, the gestational week in which the child is born, or the baby’s birth weight.
Who is entitled to supplementary maternity leave?
The leave will be available not only to mothers and fathers but also to legal guardians, foster parents, and adoptive parents.
How much supplementary leave is available for parents of premature babies?
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For parents of children born before the 28th week of pregnancy or with a birth weight of no more than 1,000g, additional maternity leave may last up to 15 weeks after birth. The length of leave will depend on the hospitalization period of the child, following the rule: one week of additional maternity leave for each week the child spends in the hospital.
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For parents of a child born between the 28th and 36th week of pregnancy, with a birth weight of more than 1,000g, leave may last up to 8 weeks, following the same rule: one week of leave for each week in the hospital.
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For parents of a child born after the 37th week of pregnancy who requires hospitalization between the 5th and 8th week after birth, the leave will last up to 8 weeks, provided that the child’s hospital stay lasts at least two consecutive days within the period from the 5th to the 28th day after birth.
When determining the length of supplementary maternity leave, hospitalization periods up to the 8th or 15th week after birth are summed up. A partial week is rounded up to a full week.
How to apply for additional leave?
A request for supplementary maternity leave must be submitted to the employer along with a medical certificate containing information about:
- The gestational week in which the child was born,
- The baby’s birth weight, and
- The child’s hospitalization period.
What is the amount of maternity benefit?
For the period of maternity leave, leave under maternity leave conditions, supplementary maternity leave, parental leave, and paternity leave, a maternity benefit is granted under the rules specified in the Act of June 25, 1999, on cash benefits from social insurance in case of illness and maternity.
In the case of supplementary maternity leave, the benefit amounts to 100% of the benefit base.
