If you decided to move based solely on where to obtain the best parental leave benefits, Sweden and Norway should be at the top of your list. In Sweden parents “are entitled to up to 480 days of leave at 80 percent pay (up to a certain limit), and moms and dads are encouraged to split the time evenly.” In Norway, expect 100% pay for 46 weeks and in Croatia, moms can take up to one year off at full pay. In Japan, maternity leave is only 14 weeks at 60% pay and in New Guinea, new moms receive only job protection for 12 months with no pay. These stats are from a recent article by Dawn Calleja in Today’s Parent. You can see how Canada shapes up in comparison to many other countries and read the rest of the article here: Maternity Leave Around the World.
The benefits of a longer leave seem pretty clear – more time to nestle, bond with, and raise our babies. According to a report by non-governmental organization Save The Children, in countries with longer periods of parental leave, “children were found to be breastfed for longer and their life expectancy was higher” (source).
Canada has come a long, long way since the first maternity leave legislation was put into place in 1966 (1921 actually, if you count the law that prevented employers from forcing women to work right after delivery (source). In 2001, about six months before the birth of my daughter Anna, parental leave was changed from 10 weeks to the 35 weeks we enjoy today. If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a parent, it’s that change is usually imminent and always inevitable!
(Anna, Today’s Parent circa 2003; and…today):
There’s nothing like the tangible reality of a dated magazine spine to erase any denial about the passage of time…er, that and the grown up kid that appears in my photos these days (psst, don’t let her fool you, she’ll always be my baby.)
Just a little plug for Today’s Parent: I like that this magazine is a Canadian publication loaded with info on raising kids, developmental milestones, and the voices and diverse experiences of parents across the country. Perhaps you’re already a reader or visit their website from time to time. If not, I recommend you check them out.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on mat leave, great parenting reads, or other, so feel free to leave a comment or email me.