Why parental leave is not paid by the employer
Parental leave is a form of career break: the employee fully suspends or reduces their work to care for their child. During that break, the RVA pays a flat-rate benefit that does not depend on pay. Full-time leave is possible for up to 4 months per child, half-time leave for up to 8 months, as long as the child is under 12.
Exceptions
With half-time or partial leave, you keep paying the hours worked as normal. You cannot refuse the leave if the employee meets the conditions; only the flexible forms need your agreement. If the period seriously disrupts operations, you may postpone the start, with reasons, within the month after the request, by at most 6 months.
What is the risk?
You pay no wages for the interrupted hours, but the employee is protected against dismissal from the request until after the leave. Dismissing them without serious cause or sufficient reason costs a flat-rate compensation on top of the notice; see can an employer dismiss an employee during parental leave.
What to do
Confirm the request in writing, adjust the schedule and payroll for the interrupted hours, and let the employee apply for their benefit online with the RVA.
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Sources
Every amount and deadline on this page was checked against these official sources, last consulted on .