The government provides many supports and conveniences to employees in our country, and parental leave is one of them. Civil servants are entitled to parental leave. Both mothers and fathers can benefit from this leave, but certain conditions must be met. In this article we will address paternity leave for civil servant fathers.
Before discussing paternity leave for civil servant fathers, let’s briefly explain what parental leave is and under what conditions it is granted.
What Is Parental Leave?
The state offers a range of protections and conveniences to women in the workforce. These rights are secured by law, and one of them is maternity leave. Recent reforms have expanded the scope of maternity leave. Female civil servants working in the public sector are entitled to a total of 16 weeks of maternity leave—8 weeks before the birth and 8 weeks after.
If a female civil servant does not use the prenatal portion of her maternity leave, she may, with a medical report, transfer that unused time to the postnatal period. Maternity leave is also referred to as “maternal leave.” The duration of maternity leave may increase in cases of multiple births. During maternity leave, the female employee receives temporary incapacity benefits.
Paternity leave for civil servant fathers falls under the same regulatory framework. Male civil servants do not receive as extensive leave as mothers, but they are provided specific paternity leave under Civil Servants Law No. 657, which governs the rights and obligations of public employees. Civil servants governed by Law No. 657 receive the same leave entitlements regardless of their specific public institution—for example, education ministry staff and other public-sector civil servants have equivalent leave rights. Under these provisions, civil servant fathers whose spouses give birth are entitled to 10 days of paternity leave.
Male teachers employed by the public sector also receive 10 days of paternity leave. This leave can be taken after filing a petition with the school administration. Contracted personnel are also granted paternity leave; however, the leave for contracted male staff is shorter—2 days of paternity leave for contracted employees.
How to Obtain Parental Leave
As noted above, civil servant fathers are generally granted 10 days of paternity leave. It is important not only to know the duration of leave but also the procedure for obtaining it. Expectant female employees must first obtain a medical report confirming their pregnancy in order to qualify for maternity leave.
After receiving the medical confirmation, the female civil servant must submit the document to the relevant departments within her employing institution. Once the required documentation is filed, she may use her maternity leave during the eligible period. The total duration of maternity leave does not change if the birth occurs earlier or later than the estimated date. If the mother dies during childbirth, the civil servant father may use the remaining maternity leave upon request.
Under recent omnibus legislation, adoptive parents may also access parental leave. When a child under three years old is adopted, the adoptive civil mother or father may take unpaid parental leave.
In addition to maternity leave, nursing breaks are provided to female civil servants who have recently given birth. During the first six months following the end of maternity leave, nursing staff are allowed three hours per workday; during the second six months, they are allowed 1.5 hours per workday. The nursing breaks’ frequency and scheduling during the day are determined by the mother.
Following paternity leave, civil servant parents may request additional leave. These extensions are generally unpaid. The start date for unpaid leave is calculated from the end of the statutory maternity leave period.