Parental leave, between societal progress and red tape
By Camille Frati, Lex Kleren Switch to French for original article
Designed to offer young parents precious time, parental leave in Luxembourg has been attracting more and more families since the 2016 reform. But in 2024, no fewer than 874 applications were rejected - often for a simple procedural error. It's an administrative obstacle course that weakens parents, puts a strain on employers and highlights the need for better support.
Eleven years after it was overhauled by the DP-LSAP-déi gréng government, there's no need to go back over the success of parental leave, which has now become standard practice in Luxembourg, attracting fathers and mothers alike and enabling young parents to enjoy their children's first happy months. This reform will go down as one of the coalition's societal breakthroughs, on a par with the opening up of marriage to same-sex couples.
However, not everything is rosy for parents wishing to exercise their right to parental leave. For those who don't fit the bill, the refusal is a bitter pill to swallow. In a previous article, the Journal collected a number of testimonies – and in another article tried to explore solutions to make the system more flexible.
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