Paid paternity leave for fathers introduced in Croatia – over 1,350 take advantage in first month
- by croatiaweek
- in News
Paid paternity leave for fathers introduced in Croatia
ZAGREB, 1 Oct (Hina) – In August, the first month of its implementation, 1,362 fathers exercised the right to paternity leave, the Central State Office for Demography and Youth said on Friday.
Paid paternity leave, introduced on 1 August, lasts ten or 15 days, depending on whether there is one child, twins or more children born at the same time.
Paternity leave is not mandatory, but if a father wants to take it, his employer must allow it or face fines ranging from HRK 10,000 to 50,000.
A father may go on paternity leave until the child is six months old.
Fathers who do so receive their full monthly pay, as do mothers on maternity leave, at the expense of the state budget, not the employer.
The state set aside HRK 91 million for paternity leave this year.
(€1 = HRK 7.5)
