Family Leave Credit: Five Additional Days Following the Birth of a Child

The federal government intends to introduce a new family leave credit, allowing employees, civil servants and self-employed workers to take five additional days off following the birth of a child.

The Council of Ministers approved a preliminary draft law on 22 July 2026. The measure must therefore still go through the legislative process before it can enter into force.

Five compensated days

The family leave credit will entitle parents to five days of leave, which may be taken consecutively or separately during the first year of the child’s life.

These days will be accompanied by a financial allowance and will come in addition to existing leave entitlements, including birth leave for the father or co-parent and maternity leave.

This is therefore not a reduction or replacement of existing rights, but rather an additional entitlement.

A right primarily intended for the father or co-parent

The scheme provides that the family leave credit will primarily be granted to the father or co-parent.

However, the father or co-parent may waive all or part of this entitlement in favour of the mother.

The aim is, among other things, to provide greater flexibility in organising the first weeks and months following the birth and to encourage a more balanced sharing of leave periods between parents.

One scheme for employees, self-employed workers and civil servants

A key feature of the proposal is that it provides for a mechanism based on common principles for all three categories of workers.

Specific provisions will nevertheless be required to adapt the system to the rules applicable to employees, self-employed workers and civil servants.

For self-employed workers, the scheme will in particular need to be coordinated with the specific rules relating to the interruption or reduction of professional activity.

What does this mean for employers?

For employers, this new entitlement will need to be incorporated into absence management once it enters into force.

The family leave credit can be taken flexibly, meaning that the practical organisation of work will need to be adapted depending on employees’ requests.

It will also be important to clearly distinguish these five days from the other types of leave related to the birth of a child, in order to avoid confusion when administering absences and benefits.