• New fathers to get 10 days of fully paid paternity leave
• Carers to get five days leave to support a relative
• Parental leave divided into two months paid, two unpaid
• Parents of children under eight can request flexible work

New fathers will have 10 days of paternity leave, as opposed to the current two days, as from August 2 when the EU Work-Life Balance Directive comes into force. 

Parents whose children are under eight years old, will also have the right to request flexible working hours, Parliamentary Secretary for Social Dialogue Andy Ellul announced.

Paternal leave

Under the current law, a pregnant woman who is in employment is entitled to 18 uninterrupted weeks of maternity leave, where the first 14 weeks are paid by the employer, and the remaining four weeks are paid by the government.  

On the other hand, a father is entitled to birth leave consisting of one working day on the occasion of the birth of his child. From August 2, fathers will be able to take 10 days of paternity leave within the first 15 days of the baby’s birth.

Fathers will be remunerated at full pay.

Parental leave

Parents will also be entitled to two months of paid parental leave each with another two months transferable between parents - as opposed to the current four-month unpaid parental leave for each parent.

This will be paid at sick leave rates. 

Those caring for loved ones will be able to take five days of unpaid leave a year to care for sick relatives without having to take leave from their vacation of sick leave as currently happens.

Asked why Malta waited until the last minute to introduce the directive, Ellul said that over the past year the issue was being discussed with stakeholders and was before the Employment Relations Board. The onset of the pandemic, in March 2020, also delayed matters due to the financial instability brought about.

“This is a historic moment and the beginning of something bigger,” said Ellul as he introduced various new rights for workers, and added benefits.

Ellul said that this year and all next year, the government would take on the financial burden which will then shift to employers from 2024. Ellul said the measures and benefits were part of an electoral pledge.

They sought to improve quality of life by reaching a better work-life balance, enhancing gender quality and offering support.

What is the EU Work-Life Balance Directive?

In 2019, the EU Work-Life Balance Directive entered into force. The main aim of the Directive is to improve access to family leave and flexibility arrangements. From August 1, 2019, all member states were given three years to transpose this.

Measures were to include the introduction of paternity leave where fathers shall be eligible to take at least 10 working days of paternity leave around the time of the birth of their child. Malta opted for the minimum but Ellul stressed that this was “just the beginning”.

PN MEP David Casa, who served as rapporteur on the committee drafting the proposals for the law, welcomed the update. 

"Finally, Maltese and Gozitan families are set to start enjoying rights that I was proud to achieve on their behalf," he said on Twitter.