Royal Decree-Law 6/2019, March 1, establishes a progressive increase in the duration of paternity leave, which, according to the schedule detailed below, will rise from the current five weeks to a total of sixteen weeks, thus achieving full parity with maternity leave.
The calendar for the increase in the duration of paternity leave is as follows:
1. During the period between April 1, 2019 and December 31, 2019, paternity leave will last eight weeks. The first two weeks must be completed consecutively immediately after childbirth, and the remaining six weeks can be enjoyed until the child reaches one year old.
2. Throughout the year 2020, paternity leave will last twelve weeks. The first four weeks must be completed consecutively immediately after childbirth, and the remaining eight weeks can be enjoyed until the child reaches one year old.
3. As of January 1, 2021, paternity leave will last sixteen weeks. The first six weeks must be completed consecutively immediately after childbirth, and the remaining ten weeks can be enjoyed until the child reaches one year old.
In any case, the weeks that do not result in compulsory compliance immediately after delivery can be carried out in an accumulated or discontinuous manner, at the parents' discretion, and in all cases the company must be given at least fifteen days' notice.
Likewise, said period of non-compulsory compliance immediately after childbirth can be enjoyed both full-time and part-time, if there is mutual agreement between the company and the employee
Obviously, this extension of paternity leave is a major step in social progress in terms of equal labour rights for men and women. However, it will generate an economic cost of around 1,100 million euros per year for the battered and under-funded Spanish Social Security system.
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