Over the past five years, several amendments have been introduced to extend the rights and benefits of new mothers and parents in the workplace, aiming to promote a better work-life balance.

Key Amendments:

• Maternity Leave: The duration of maternity leave for a first child has been extended from 18 to 22 weeks.
• Adoption Leave: Maternity leave for adoptive parents has been extended from 16 to 20 consecutive weeks.
• Hospitalization Extension: If an infant is hospitalized for more than 63 days after birth, the mother is granted an additional week of maternity leave for every 14 days of hospitalization, up to a maximum of 8 additional weeks.
• Parental Leave Allowance:
• Eligibility for parental leave allowance has been extended to include self-employed individuals.
• The child’s age limit for receiving the allowance has been increased from 8 to 15 years.
• Infertility Treatment Support:
• A subsidy scheme has been approved for infertile couples undergoing IVF.
• Increased Allowances:
• The honorary allowance for mothers with multiple children has been increased.
• Child Benefit has been raised.
• Childbirth Grant has been increased:
• €1,000 for the first child,
• €1,500 for the second child,
• €2,000 for the third child.
• Extension of Paid Parental Leave:
• For the second child – from 8 to 10 weeks.
• For the third child – from 8 to 12 weeks.
• For the fourth and subsequent children – 14 weeks.
• The age limit for taking parental leave has been extended from 8 to 15 years.
• Financial Support for Young Mothers:
• Mothers who have their first child before the age of 30 receive a monthly allowance of €200 for 24 months after childbirth.
• Extended Kindergarten Hours:
• On a pilot basis, afternoon opening hours of kindergartens have been extended until 19:30 to better accommodate working parents.

Existing Rights of Working Mothers

• Mothers have the right to adjust their working hours for breastfeeding or childcare for a period of 9 months after returning to work. They may:
• Arrive at work one hour later or leave one hour earlier.
• This is entirely at the mother’s discretion, and the employer cannot impose a preference.
• Discussions are ongoing regarding the possible extension of breastfeeding leave.
• A mother may take her maternity leave and immediately follow it with parental leave by notifying her employer in writing at least 3 weeks in advance.
• Alternatively, she may return to work after maternity leave and take parental leave at a later time, either in full or in separate periods.

Application Process & Employer Responsibilities

• The application for maternity leave must be submitted during the 7th month of pregnancy (25 weeks of gestation).
• Payment Structure:
• 70% of the salary is covered by Social Insurance.
• The remaining 30% is optional and may be paid by the employer or by the employee.
• Employers are legally required to respect maternity and parental rights.
• Dismissal or discrimination against employees due to pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or maternity leave is strictly prohibited.
• Any discrimination on these grounds is considered a violation of employment law and may lead to legal action.

Legal Assistance

The above information is provided for informational purposes only. Our law firm specializes in labor law and represents clients in all districts of the Republic of Cyprus. Additionally, we offer legal advice across various areas of law and represent clients before all levels of the Cyprus Courts.

 By Kyriaki Leventi-Georgia Nicolaou, Lawyers