Bill proposes 3 more months of unpaid maternity leave

MKs Dalia Itzik (Kadima), Tzipi Hotovely (Likud) propose 14-week paid maternity leave be automatically extended by 12 weeks without pay, while reserving woman's right to return to work earlier if she desires. 'Idea is to set a norm of a six-month maternity leave,' says Hotovely

Amnon Meranda|Published: 06.03.09 , 09:38

A new bill proposal aimed at extending maternity leave from 14 weeks to 26 weeks was formed this week. According to the proposal, the extended leave will be without pay and automatic.

This will relieve woman of the burden of having to ask their employers for an extended period without pay. Women who decide against taking the extended period will also have the right to return to work after the initial paid maternity leave.

The proposal was presented by former Knesset Speaker MK Dalia Itzik (Kadima), who recruited Likud MK Tzipi Hotovely, chairwoman of the Knesset's Committee on the Status of Women, to the cause.

Itzik will continue to garner support for the proposal from all sides of the political spectrum in hopes of receiving enough backing before officially filing a bill proposal at the Knesset's Secretariat.

'Maternity leave short compared to West'

The document explaining the bill said: "Maternity leave in Israel is short compared to the Western world. A number of bill proposals were filed in the previous and current Knessets requesting maternity leave be extended to 16 weeks.

"Due to the high cost of these bills, the chances of them passing are very small. Furthermore, if these bills do pass, maternity leave in Israel will still be relatively short compared to Western countries.

"Due to the maternity leave's short duration, many woman request an extension, but a large part of them are not eligible according to law. In addition, the fact that maternity leave is set at only 14 weeks according to law, leads to a situation in which a woman who is entitled to extend her leave may find herself under pressure by her employer not to do so.

"Therefore, it is proposed that maternity leave be set at 26 weeks. A six-month maternity leave is suitable and favorable, as it will enable the mother to rest from giving birth and strengthen the bond between parent and child."

'We want to change the perception'

The document continued to say that, according to the bill proposal, only the first 14 weeks of maternity leave will be paid, as is the situation now, meaning the bill will not cause employers to suffer heavy costs.

A Kadima source said the current system, according to which a woman who has worked for the same employer for at least one year is eligible to take unpaid leave for a period equal to a quarter of the number of months she has been working, will not be harmed, but will be adjusted to the new situation.

"We want to change the perception: A woman will not extend her maternity leave, but maternity leave will be long, and if a woman desires, she can shorten it."

MK Hotovely said, "The current law does not enable every woman to enjoy unpaid maternity leave, and we want to make this possible for everyone. A more reasonable work minimum will be demanded, and not the 12 months that are currently required.

"The idea is to set a norm of six-month maternity leave, and of course, this will not take away from a woman's right to take a year's leave if she is entitled to by law."