“Most families experience initial parental leave in the exact same way because no one has shown them that there are other options within the law,” explains lawyer and parental rights consultant Marta Esteves.
Lawyer and parental rights consultant Marta Esteves revealed—in a post shared on social media—three “secrets” regarding initial parental leave that many families are unaware of, but which could offer a solution.
“Most families experience initial parental leave in the exact same way because no one has shown them that there are other options within the law,” the lawyer explains in a post shared on Instagram.
The three “secrets”
Secret 1
“From the 43rd day onwards, the leave can be taken by the father. After the mother’s mandatory six weeks, she does not *have* to be the one to continue the leave.”
Secret 2
“From the 120th day onwards, it is possible to take the leave on a part-time basis. You don’t have to spend the entire leave period working full-time.”
Secret 3
“If the father takes 60 of the 180 days, the allowance is 90% for both parents—instead of the 83% rate applied to the ‘classic’ shared 180-day leave (150 + 30).”
Minister of Labor says extending parental leave is not sustainable
Last week, the Minister of Labor argued that the Citizens’ Initiative proposal to extend initial parental leave is not financially sustainable—despite its social merit—maintaining that the Government’s solution better protects gender equality. According to Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho, the citizens’ initiative proposal to extend initial parental leave to 180 days at 100% pay—regardless of how the leave is shared between parents—cannot proceed in its current form because it represents an unsustainable financial burden, even though she acknowledges the proposal’s social merit.
During a hearing before the Committee on Labor, Social Security, and Inclusion—requested by the PSD—the official stated that the government shares the goal of allowing families to spend more time with their children during their first months of life, but emphasized that this objective must be balanced against the financial sustainability of the Social Security system and the promotion of gender equality.
