Cyprus could see a reform in maternity leave as the government prepares to introduce a bill to Parliament that will extend the duration from the current 18 weeks to 22 weeks.
This was announced by President Christodoulides during the unveiling of the government’s agenda for 2024 on Monday evening.
Labour Minister Yiannis Panayiotou, in discussions with House Labour Committee members regarding their agenda today, revealed that the groundwork for the bill is already in progress.
“The change is simple, has been costed based on the actuarial data of the Social Insurance Fund, and there will soon be direct promotion of the legislation, firstly to the Council of Ministers and subsequently to the Parliament,” Panayiotou explained.
The discussion also touched upon the subject of parental leave, which the President mentioned is under review for possible expansion. Panayiotou stated that various scenarios and options are being examined, promising more information in the weeks ahead. “It is a fact that parental leave will be improved and further expanded” within the year, he affirmed.
Furthermore, Akel MP Andreas Kafkalias, the chair of the Labour Committee, highlighted upcoming discussions on parental leave.
Next week, the committee will consider a proposal from AKEL to extend the eligibility for parental leave to parents of children up to 15 years old, a significant increase from the current limit of 8 years.
The committee will also review a government bill aimed at extending parental leave to self-employed workers.
