The Best Maternity Leave Policies in the World

by Cait Flanders for LearnVest

For more about the maternity leave policies in the U.S. and abroad, visit LearnVest.com

Maternity leave is a hot topic with us.

The short, unpaid leaves that most mothers are forced to take when they have a baby is one of the main factors leading to America’s ranking as 31 out of 43 developed countries in terms of being a good place to have a baby (we talked about that here).

That, and the fact that the U.S. is one of the few developed countries that does not have a national policy on maternity leave.

Because of this, Working Mother is trying to make a case for paid maternity leave to be mandated in the U.S.

Now, we aren’t in the business of feeling jealous over what others have. However, after pulling data from the 2011 State of the World’s Mothers report, and piecing that together with the maternity leave policies from the top 10 countries, it’s easy to feel a little green. From receiving up to 100% of their wages to getting as much as 480 days of parental leave, check out what the rest of the world is offering moms. (Countries are ranked based on their maternity leave policies and are not in the same order as presented in the above report.)

Denmark
Maternity Pay: 100%
Duration: 18 weeks

Paternity Pay: 100%
Duration: 2 weeks

Parental Leave: 100%
Pay: 32 weeks *
*The leave period may be extended if the worker returns to work part-time, and the payment is then spread over the longer period. In certain sectors, fathers are entitled to additional non-transferable leave.

France
Maternity Pay: 100%
Duration: 16 Weeks

Paternity Pay: 100%
Duration: 2 Weeks

Parental Leave: Variable*
Duration: 3 years
*Entitled to leave or to work part time until the child is 3 years old. Varying flat-rate payments depending on size of family and leave circumstances.