Maternity Leave Italy

30% of families worldwide, according to the International Labor Organization, are headed by a woman. Women must receive a fair and advantageous maternity leave as a consequence. Maternity and paternity leave laws vary from one nation to the next.

In terms of the legal criteria for paid maternity leave, Italy is regarded as a top-ranking nation. Increased gender equality, better health outcomes, and more excellent rates of economic output may all be seen in nations with comprehensive and generous maternity leave policies.

In this article, you may learn who qualifies for maternity leave, how much Italians anticipate receiving during their absence, and how much salary businesses should provide to employees during this period.

What Is Maternity Leave In Italy?

Maternity leave (congedo di maternità): For the duration of pregnancy and postpartum recovery, working mothers who are employed are required to take a certain amount of time off from work. For independent contractors or professionals who work for themselves, there is no connection between the benefit and any required time off.

Employees who are female are entitled to 5 months of paid maternity leave; typically, mothers take two months of leave before giving birth and three months of leave after giving birth. There are possibilities for flexible maternity leaves, and moms can choose to delay their leave so that they take the whole five months off after giving birth. A medical certificate is required for approval of this alteration.

Employees who perform hard labor, such as lifting heavy objects as part of their job, may occasionally want to go on maternity leave earlier than expected. The Employment Office must approve the request and provide a medical certificate to employees who want additional time off before giving birth.

Both parents are qualified to take ten months of optional paid leave before the kid turns 12 in addition to the five months required. If given 15 days’ notice, employers are obligated to authorize and offer voluntary leave.

The employer is required to provide the returning mother with the same job and responsibilities as before during the maternity leave term. From the start of the pregnancy until one year after the baby is born, employees are also exempt from being dismissed.

Who Is Eligible For Maternity Leave In Italy?

Five months of paid maternity leave (congedo di maternità) are available to employees who give birth. When deciding how to spend these five months, you have two choices:

• Both two and three months before and after the anticipated delivery date.
• Take the period of time four months before and before the anticipated delivery date. However, before the due date, women must submit a medical document demonstrating that maternity leave is essential for the welfare of the child.

In addition to those two choices, moms in Italy can be flexible with how they spend these five months. The only catch is that a medical certificate is required for the leave to be accepted.

On rare occasions, workers whose professions involve hard labor, such as lifting hefty objects, may ask for early maternity leave. If an employee needs more time off before giving birth, they must submit a medical certificate and request permission from the employment office.

Additionally, before the kid is 12 years old, both parents are permitted to take ten months of paid voluntary leave. Employers must authorize and allow for voluntary leave if given 15 days’ notice.

The employer must provide the returning mother with the same job and responsibilities as previously after maternity leave. Additionally, female employees cannot be fired by their employers during pregnancy or the first year following the birth of their kids.

These regulations give you complete protection from employment loss during pregnancy.

You are entitled to a maternity leave stipend equal to 80% of your income as an employee who takes the leave. Nevertheless, you will receive more favorable aid of up to 100% if you are a party to a collective bargaining agreement. Additionally, it’s typical for companies to pay the final 20%.

Maternity leave in Italy can be changed into paternity leave in three situations, regardless of whether the mother is a full-time employee or a freelancer:

• severe sickness or death of the child’s mother;
• if a mother leaves her child unattended; or
• The court awards the father full custody.

During Your Time Off From Work In Italy, Your Job Will Be Protected

You are protected from being dismissed by employment protection from the start of your pregnancy until up to four months after giving birth.

Only if you have told your employer that you are expecting, have given birth, or have experienced a miscarriage are you eligible for this work protection.

But don’t assume it’s impossible to fire you at this moment. The following are some difficult situations when an employer has the authority to fire a mother:

• The business is bankrupt.
• The business shuts down a few departments.
• Your employer, a tiny business, is only able to continue operations with a suitable successor.
• You acted gravely improperly and failed to carry out your obligations. You acted gravely improperly and failed to carry out your obligations.

If your employer intends to terminate you due to one of the mentioned circumstances, they must file a formal application to a particular state government agency. You may only be dismissed if the government agency accedes to their request.

Maternity Leave Benefits In Italy

The many perks you might receive with your maternity leave in Italy are listed below.

Baby Bonus

The birthing allowance, commonly referred to as the baby bonus (bonus bebe), is a payment provided to each newborn born or adopted during the year from birth or adoption until the kid turns one.

The neighborhood fiscal office, Anagrafe Tributaria, gives out the allowance. Anyone with a valid Italian residency permit may use it, including Italians, EU nationals, and those from other countries. Anyone who has given birth to a child adopted a kid, or placed a child in foster care is qualified. Go to the INPS website to file a claim.

Maternity Indemnity

During maternity leave, mothers are eligible to receive up to 80% of their typical daily pay. The most extended length of mandatory maternity leave in Italy is five months; often, mothers quit their jobs two months before giving birth and come back within three months.

You can also take up to four months off work once the baby is born after taking a month off before the delivery.

The two parents can share up to 11 months of additional maternity leave over the child’s first eight years. The father is also covered by the indemnity, which lasts for three months starting on the adoption day.

Italian maternity benefits must be requested at the neighborhood INPS (Istituto Nazionale Previdenza Sociale) office. Pregnant women are required to present a medical document attesting to their condition as well as a letter from their employer verifying that they have given up their jobs.

The birth certificate and the certificate of family status (certificato di stato di Famiglia), accessible from the local register office, must be given to the INPS as soon as the child is born.

Parental Leave

You and your spouse are each entitled to 8 years of parental leave throughout the early years of your child’s life. A maximum of 11 months is available to you both. On the other hand, you are also entitled to parental leave if you adopt a kid.

The terms, however, will vary depending on the age of the kid you adopted. Up to 30% of your daily earnings may be paid to you as compensation for parental leave.

Special Rest

You may take two hours of rest each day if you work a six-hour shift or longer within the first year after the child’s birth. If you work at most six hours, you can only take an hour off. This reward likewise pertains to adopting a child.

Child Sickness

It may be difficult to concentrate on work when your child is ill. Taking time off from work to care for your infant is OK. A medical certificate is a sole need. This certificate will serve as proof that you are willing to care for or visit a sick child.

You are allowed to use up to five working days of the caregiver’s leave if your child is between the ages of 3 and 8. If the child is under three, you are allowed an unlimited number of leaves.

Children With A Handicap

If their child has significant difficulties, the parents may be permitted to extend their parental leave or take one or two paid hours off each day until the child is three. If your child is older than three years old, you are allowed to take three days off work each month.

Parents who need to take time off to care for their impaired kid are allowed to do so for up to two years. You are also free to take time off whenever you choose.

Financial Benefits During Your Maternity Leave In Italy

The five-month cash maternity payment is equal to 80% of wages (2 before and three after the date of birth or one month prior to and four after). In order to take advantage of the time not utilized during the pregnancy or in the event of a lengthy hospital stay, the leave is extended in cases of preterm birth or stopped in cases where the newborn child must stay in the hospital. The five months begin in cases of adoption or guardianship when the adopted kid or child over whom guardianship is presumed enters the family.

If a miscarriage occurs after the third month of pregnancy, a 30-day allowance is granted. However, a miscarriage beyond 180 days is considered a “birth.”

Optional Supplementary Parental Leave Allowance

Working parents have the right to a six-month reduced paid leave until the child turns three (or within three years of the adoption).

In the first three years of the child’s life or the three years after the kid enters the family, in the case of adoption or guardianship, it is equal to 30% of wages and paid for a maximum of six months between the two parents. If you work for the government, the first 30 days of your leave are compensated at 100% of your prior salary.

After the initial six months (and up until the kid becomes 12), you will get compensation for a further five months as allowed by law, provided that your salary does not exceed 2.5 times the minimum pension set by law for the current year.

Independent contractors have the option to take three months of unpaid leave during the first year of their child’s life, but they must also stop all employment.

After your required maternity leave has ended, you can take a maximum of six months of authorized private or public child services, a donation toward the cost of public child services, or a voucher for babysitting services.

In the case of non-pre-adoptive guardianship, a period of leave of 3 months is provided, which can be taken in fractions over the course of 5 months from the date on which guardianship is assumed. Parents of adopted children or children over whom guardianship has been assumed are entitled to the same forms of protection.

You must submit a claim for maternity, paternity, or optional parental leave benefits to your employer or the INPS if enrolled with the INPS. Claims addressed to the INPS must be submitted via one of the channels listed on this site.

Before the start of maternity leave and, in any event, by a year following the conclusion of the allowance period, electronic claims must be submitted.

If you are a worker, you must use one of the aforementioned electronic reporting options to submit your child’s birthdate and any pertinent information within 30 days of the baby’s arrival.

Independent contractors are required to file an electronic claim following the birth.

To get cash maternity/paternity benefits, you must present an original copy of your medical certificate of pregnancy and any other health documents to the appropriate INPS Office, either in person or by sending a letter by registered mail in a sealed envelope.

Please write the following on the envelope holding a medical health certificate:

• protocol number generated during the online sending process;
• a medical health certificate with the wording “maternity/paternity claim evidence.”

If you’re a freelancer, check the website of the social security organization you’re a member of.

When To Inform Your Employer Of Pregnancy In Italy?

You are in charge of determining when to inform your employer that you are pregnant. Remember that your unborn child might be in danger during the first three months of pregnancy.

Many women inform their employers once the first three months of pregnancy have successfully passed.

Can You Take A Maternity Leave While On Probation?

If you have a permanent contract, going on maternity leave during your probationary period will not prolong it.

Conclusion

It may be simpler to adjust to motherhood in Italy than in other nations if you are a working woman wanting to have a kid. Due to a robust social system, maternity leave (Tutela della maternità), unpaid time off from work before and after childbirth, is required in Italy. Everything you ought to know about maternity leave has been covered.