In fact, half of all Middle Eastern states make no provision for compulsory leave at all – these are Kuwait, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates. And while in many of these countries, mothers and women in general don’t work, this is a large issue in terms of gender equality and discrimination. Moreover, expatriate families, which account for a large part of the UAE population, have no paid time off or job security, provided from the state.
Some of the best countries for working parents are Chile, where fathers get 5 paid days, while moms receive only 12 weeks, but cash benefits represent 100% of their usual wage. However, it’s much better in Sweden, where leave is 80 weeks (the longest paid leave in the world) and financial benefit is at least 80% of the wage for 65 of them, Norway, and all Scandinavian countries. Finland has additional bonuses for new parents – the government sends the family a crate, filled with baby clothing and onesies, toys, shoes, books and even baby nail clippers. The box itself has also a mattress, where the baby can sleep for the first several months.
In France, the government issues a health book for every newborn, where parents can keep a record of the child’s vaccinations, or get advice as there are instructions on proper dental care, developmental milestones, and others. And in Denmark, parents get 90% of the wages for 32 weeks of leave – and even if a mother gets back to work sooner, she can use the rest until the baby’s third birthday. Or just pass it on to the daddy.
