PN Proposes One-Year Paid Parental Leave For Work-Life Balance
The Nationalist Party has proposed that families should be entitled to an additional year of paid leave, beyond maternity and parental leave. This is to support parents in work and managing family responsibilities.
Currently, parental leave in Malta stands at eight weeks. However, the PN has recommended extending this to 28 weeks.
This proposal was announced last Friday, after Times of Malta discussed a study conducted by Prof. Anna Borg, Dr. Maja Miljanic Brinkworth, and Prof. Liberato Camilleri on perceptions and attitudes towards work-life balance in Malta.
Commissioned by the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality (NCPE), the research was published in May 2024 and indicates the need for enhanced parental leave policies.
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The proposals from PN include that this should be fully funded by the government, including for self-employed parental, paternity and maternity leave benefits.
Parental leave payments must use an average salary as the basis instead of the standardised sick leave rates. The PN also included that more businesses should be encouraged to adopt remote working and flexible work arrangements to improve productivity and employee well-being.
While the PN’s proposals focus on improving parental support, taking a look at the existing EU regulations, these proposals will probably face challenges for it to be implemented.
If the government were to assume full financial responsibility, as suggested by the PN, it could possibly lead to financial strain on public finances and potentially impact other social welfare initiatives.
Additionally, while encouraging businesses to adopt remote and flexible working arrangements is beneficial, for it to succeed it would depend on voluntary employer participation rather than a legal enforcement.
What do you make of the PN’s proposals?
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