What are the steps to take parental leave?

Parental leave being a right, you simply have to inform your employer of your decision to benefit from it. If you take your parental leave following maternity or adoption leave, it is mandatory to notify him at least one month before the end of the latter. If you prefer it start later, you must inform him of your decision at least two months before the date on which your parental leave will begin. In your mail, you must also indicate the duration and if it is a full-time or part-time leave. Your request can either be sent by recommended letter with receipt note, or hand delivery against discharge.

The formality for interrupting or modifying parental leave

The law provides that the duration of parental leave may be changed in certain situations. So, in the event of serious illness, accident or disability of the child, parental leave may be extended by a maximum of one year beyond the child’s third birthday, that is to say until he is four years old. In case of adoption of a child under three years old, it then ends after four years, and if the child is over three years old after two years. The severity of the illness or accident must be ascertained by a medical certificate which also certifies that the child’s condition necessitates the presence of a person near him for a determined period. In addition, if the child dies or if there is a significant decrease in your household resources (for example one of you is unemployed), you are entitled to resume your initial professional activity, or to transform your full parental leave into a part-time activity, or to modify the duration of the part-time work that you had chosen with the agreement of your employer. Concretely, you must address to your employer a motivated letter in the same way as before, at least one month before the end or modification of your parental leave.

Good to know : at each renewal of parental leave, in the limit of 2 renewals carried out consecutively, the employee can transform his total parental leave into part-time activity, and vice versa.

The employer’s obligations upon return from parental leave

When you get back to work after your parental leave, you must find your job under the same conditions than before, or a similar job with a at least equivalent remuneration. Note that if changes in techniques or working methods have taken place during your parental leave, your employer must provide you with vocational training. Likewise, you have the right, if you wish, to a career counseling interview.

Social protection: a right to parental leave

Throughout the duration of your parental leave, whether you have chosen to take it at full time or part time, you retain your rights to reimbursement of your care in the event of illness and maternity. You also benefit, for one year, planned services in the event of disability and death. You should also know that in some companies, the employer sometimes agrees to maintain the employee’s rights regarding mutual health insurance and, in this case, it is either the responsibility of the company or the employee. Learnwith your employer.

Parental leave: what if a second baby is coming?

There may be some happy news during your parental leave. If that is the case, you will be entitled to request a new parental leave. The start of it will then be calculated at the end of maternity leave for this new birth and, of course, each of the happy parents will be able to benefit from it.

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