Monday, 1 August, amendments to the Labour Law came to force, introducing a new form of leave of absence – caregiver’s leave.
As previously reported by Saeima’s press-service, employers now have a duty to provide leave without leave without retention of remuneration if it is requested by an employee who has a spouse, parent, child or close relative in need of care due to a medical condition.
Residents will be able to request the leave if they have another person living with them and this person is in need of care.
The employee will need to provide information to the employer that proves the person that requires care does have a serious medical condition. The leave will be provided for a period no longer than five days in a single year. The leave will be allowed to be used in parts.
Amendments have also come into force for child care leave, outlining employees’ rights to request flexible options for child care leave.
1 August also marked changes that extend the leave allowed to be taken by fathers. It is decided that this leave is to be provided immediately after the birth of a child in the family, but no late than within six months after birth (four months before). It is also clarified in the law that the father of the child has the right for a ten-day leave (ten calendar days before).
It is also decided that if paternity is undetermined, the child’s father is dead or no longer has parental right, the right for the ten-day leave is to be provided to a different person. Employers will be able to request appropriate proof before providing the ten-day leave.
To prevent child care leave from getting fractured between use, it is decided that if a person decides to use the leave in parts, they are not allowed to be shorter than one calendar week.