The maternity leave policy for the female workforce of Greece complies with international standards, clearly stating that the duration of the maternity leave should be at least 14 weeks. The maternity benefits in Greece also include a pay package of at least 67% of the worker’s monthly wage, which is supposed to be given according to the weeks spent away from work. In this article, we will be looking into the maternity benefits in Greece, the situations in which you can claim them, as well as the duration and percentage of monthly salary a worker gets during maternity leave.
Maternity Benefits in Greece
For a female worker to be eligible for maternity benefits, she must have direct insurance that allows her to take 56 days off before childbirth and 63 days after the baby has been delivered. If a female worker doesnot take the entire period of days off before the birth, she can choose to carry it forward after she has had her baby. This applies to women who are insured and have worked 200 days in the last two years before the delivery date.
According to the labor code, if a female employee is pregnant, she is entitled to time off without any loss of pay.
The basic maternity leave can last up to 17 months, and once this period is over, the employee has entitled to a one-hour reduction in their working time for the next 30 months without any loss of income. If an employee wishes to spend equivalent time-off, they can do so by taking paid leaves – but once they return,they won‘t be allowed to take one hour off from their working schedules.
Monthly Salary during Maternity Leave
During maternity leave, employees are paid 100% of their earnings by the state social insurance fund and the Hellenic Manpower Employment Association (OAED), up to a cap set by the social insurance fund. To receive full maternity benefits, the mother must have worked 200 working days during the previous 2 years. After the basic maternity leave, mothers are entitled to another special leave of 6 months, during which time the state will provide a benefit equal to the statutory minimum wage.
Conditions of Claiming the Benefits
You can apply for maternity leave if you are employed and have recently given birth. The maternity benefits and pregnancy-postpartum can be claimed if you have accumulated at least 200 days of insurance. The maternity leave totals 119 days before and after giving birth. To claim supplementary maternity allowance, you must be qualified and have a working contract; this benefit is not extended to adoptive mothers. In the case that the mother is uninsured, the benefit is provided on a means basis, and the mother should not have worked 42 days before and after giving birth.
