Maternity leave changes

As of January 2008 Czechs going on maternity or paternity leave will be able to decide whether they want a longer maternity leave on less money or a shorter one on more. A new law will introduce a three-tier system which will enable parents to take anything from a few weeks of maternity leave to four years. The short option would get them 11,400 crowns a month, the four year option a mere 3,800 crowns per month. Parents have welcomed the flexibility but criticized the fact that the decision must be made in advance and cannot be changed at a later date if the family’s circumstances should change.