The amount of hours workers can take off to deal with urgent family matters will increase from 15 hours to 32 hours per year from April.
Junior Minister for Social Dialogue Andy Ellull said the changes were aimed at improving work-life balance.
Ellul told a news conference in Paola that the change means as of April 4, employees will have access to up to eight hours per day for a total of four days.
Workers can take urgent leave when they need to care for a family member, such as when they have children who are unwell, to assist their parents not only in case of illness but also when, for example, their parents need urgent help due to something happening at their residence, even if they do not live in the same house. It is also available in cases of those who have legal custody of minors as well as when siblings need urgent help.
“Why are we doing this? We are doing this because taking care of families remains a priority for this government,” Ellul said. He added that the government delivered on its manifesto pledge and increased the entitlement beyond what was initially promised.
The Labour Party’s 2022 manifesto had initially committed to doubling urgent family leave to 30 hours.
The measure also applies to part-time workers on a pro-rata basis. Employees must inform their employer when using this leave, and employers have the right to request proof to prevent system abuse.
The four days of urgent family leave will be calculated equally from an employee’s existing leave entitlements. The first 16 hours will be taken from annual vacation leave, while the remaining 16 hours will be taken from sick leave.
Ellul acknowledged that while this was a step forward, more needed to be done to improve work-life balance in Malta.
“We will continue to work to find the balance between the world of work and our private lives. Have we got there yet? Of course not, and I think we have a lot more to do,” he said.
Last week, the PN also announced measures to support parents struggling to balance work and family obligations.
It said families should receive a full year of paid leave, between maternity and parental leave, and parental leave should be extended from eight to 28 weeks.
'A gimmick,' PN says
The Nationalist Party said the government's announcement was a weak reaction to its well-received proposals for a better work-family balance. The government's announcement was a gimmick: introducing a single measure that would take away from employees' own leave
"The measure introduced by the government does not actually offer anything new to Maltese families. Instead, it will simply take away from employees’ existing leave and sick leave entitlements. Furthermore, it places the burden on employers, who will continue to bear the cost of this leave, as they already do, the PN said.
This, it added, was in stark contrast to its proposals for increase leave entitlements, which would be fully funded by the government, ensuring that no additional burden is placed on employers.
"As the Chamber of SMEs stated last week, the country urgently needs change. Malta requires a government with a clear vision that plans wisely and for the long term, rather than one that merely reacts," the PN said.
"Unlike Labour, a new Nationalist Government would implement a holistic plan that equally supports workers, employers, and the self-employed. This would be done through a well-thought-out and structured reform.
Is said its reform will feature longer parental leave to give families more time together, government-funded leave for all workers, including the self-employed and support for childcare and remote working.