Fathers on paternity leave

15.02.2021 00:00

Are you planning on staying at home with your newborn child? We will advise you on what you should do before your baby arrives and explain what kind of benefits you are entitled to.

The most important information for fathers on paternity leave is that they can only request financial help starting from the seventh week after childbirth. For the first six weeks, this benefit is granted exclusively to the mother of the child.

A father caring for his newborn must then conclude a written agreement with the mother. It must include this information:

• the date the father will begin caring for the child;
• the date of birth of the child;
• the officially verified signature of the mother;
• this form needs to be included as an attachment to the agreement.

Who qualifies for paternity pay?

As paternity pay or simply paternity leave is a benefit provided under sickness insurance, such insurance must be arranged beforehand. Provision is automatic for employees, but not for a self-employed person because sickness insurance, unlike health insurance, is not required by law and therefore not everyone provides

These are the specific conditions:

• An employed father intending to claim maternity pay must have had medical insurance for at least 270 days over the last two years. It does not matter how many employers he has worked for during this period.
• A self-employed father is required to have paid contributions to voluntary sickness scheme for at least 180 days for one year before the baby is born. He must also fulfil the same condition as an employee, i.e. to have contributed to a sickness insurance scheme for at least 270 days over the last two years.

Problems with receiving paternity pay

A potential problem arises if, before claiming the paternity pay, the father’s full-time employment is terminated. Although a 180-day protected period applies for mothers, during which they can begin receiving benefits, fathers are only protected for a week (in reality, this affects mostly employees with a fixed-term contract). For a self-employed person, the right to receive paternity pay ends when he no longer contributes to a sickness insurance scheme.

How much financial help can you expect on paternity leave?

For employees, the amount of financial help on maternity leave depends on their salary, for a self-employed person, it is calculated based on social insurance.

What to do when the father is not entitled to claim maternity cash benefits

If a father does not fulfil the conditions established by the state, he can start drawing a parental allowance, starting on the seventh week after childbirth. The parental allowance is the same for all parents: it amounts to CZK 300.000 for one child and CZK 450.000 for multiple births.