The decision, adopted to keep up with the many rather stringent regulations and directives on this topic issued by the European Union (EU), will certainly be a sigh of relief for many.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, maternity benefit during the six months after the birth of a new baby will no longer be limited. Instead new Croatian mothers will receive the full amount of the salary they’d normally receive if they were present as normal at their workplaces, which is a fantastic result for all those who are pregnant or planning to be in terms of finances.
During the six months following the birth of a new baby, the compensation amount today amounts to a maximum of 5,654.20 kuna, and Jutarnji list has since found out that it will be equal to the full salary of an employed parent who uses their leave, most likely from the second half of next year on.
While that is sure to take some of the worries and weight off the shoulders of Croatian mothers to be and those planning for a future with children in it, that is not the only bit of good news. The Croatian Government also intends to change the law and introduce mandatory paternity leave for new fathers, ie ten full working days of normally paid leave that the new father will use with the mother immediately after the birth of their child.
This is an obligation the Republic of Croatia had to fulfil in accordance with the European Union Directive on the balance between the working lives and private lives of parents and caregivers.
For more on Croatian and European Union politics, make sure to check out our dedicated section.
