Maternity Leave (Czech Republic)

Act No. 262/2006 Coll., Labour Code § 195,198 and 242

Maternity Leave

Female employees are entitled to 28 weeks of maternity leave (37 weeks for multiple births). A female employee shall go on her maternity leave, at the beginning of the sixth week before the expected childbirth date, but no earlier than the beginning of the eighth week before the expected date of delivery.

If a female employee has taken less than six weeks of maternity leave before the childbirth because the child was born earlier than the expected date of delivery she is entitled to maternity leave as of the day when she started to take it until the expiry of the period of 28 weeks or 37 weeks in case of multiple births. If a female employee has had less than six weeks of maternity leave before delivery of the child for some other reason, she shall be entitled to 22 weeks of maternity leave as of the childbirth, or to 31 weeks if she gives birth to two or more children at the same time. If a child is stillborn, the female employee is entitled to maternity leave of 14 weeks.

Maternity leave shall not be shorter than 14 weeks and it can not be terminated before the expiry of 6 weeks from the date of birth. If a child dies while the employee is on maternity or parental leave or when an employee is on parental leave in such cases, the maternity or parental leave shall be granted for a further period of 2 weeks from the date of the child’s death, until the child reaches the age of 1 year at the latest.

Pay – The payment for the period of maternity leave is made by the Social Sickness Insurance Authority.

Breastfeeding Break

An employee is entitled to two 30 minutes breaks for each child up to the end of 1 year of age. Subsequently, in the next 3 months, mothers are entitled to one 30 minutes break. In case, the mother works part-time, but at least half of a week’s working time, she is entitled to only one 30 minutes break, for each child up to the age of 1 year.

This break is in addition to other breaks to which an employee may be entitled. Breastfeeding breaks are included in working hours and are paid in an amount equal to average earnings.