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Grandparents add so much to the lives of their grandchildren. Now Sweden is recognizing this bond by allowing grandparents paid parental leave for taking care of grandbabies.
The new law which was approved in December 2023 and takes effect in July 2024 is the first of its kind, reported AP News, and comes 50 years after Sweden became the first country to introduce paid parental leave for fathers.
Parents can transfer some of their parental leave to their Child’s grandparents, up to 45 days or 90 days for a single parent. The rules for grandparents are the same as for parents regarding eligibility.
Parental leave in Sweden
Sweden is known for its cradle to grave social welfare programs and that includes benefits for parents. This includes generous paid parental leave for 480 days; a full 16 months per child. The compensation is calculated on the person’s income for 390 days and a fixed amount for the remaining time. The time can be split between mothers and fathers.
Fathers take around 30 percent of the leave and now grandparents will be entitled to collect if parents choose to go back to work earlier. Swedish women typically take leave longer than men because they are paid less, reported SBSNews.
While parental leave was extended to fathers in 1974, it took a long time for men to start taking their share. In 2005, only one in 10 couples shared the leave equally but the numbers are growing.
The benefits for parents in Sweden continue long after parental leave is over, according to AP. Parents can work reduced hours until the child is eight and government employees receive the benefit until the child turns 12.
While Scandinavian countries are known for taking care of their citizens, not all have been as generous to fathers. Finland allowed seven months of paid paternity leave in 2020, according to The NYT. Before that, fathers had some benefits but for a shorter duration than what was allowed for mothers.
Parental leave in the US
The US is one of very few countries that doesn’t offer paid maternity leave on a national level, reported AP. The Family and Medical Leave Act provides workers who are eligible up to 12 weeks of job protected – but unpaid – leave per year.
There are maternity leave programs in just 13 states and Washington DC, but it is usually just for three months, a fraction of what is offered in Sweden. And this leave time is not transferable to grandparents.
“Families often extend beyond the nuclear family,” Jared Make, vice president at the nonprofit advocacy organization A Better Balance, told AP. “Examples like Sweden show just how far behind the United States is. We have a lot of work to do to catch up with the rest of the industrialized world.”
Sweden’s official recognition of the important role that grandparents play is something to be celebrated. But Sweden should not remain the sole country that allows Grandparent Leave. This is something that can be implemented, along with parental leave, around the globe.
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