22. 10. 2024.
If you are an entrepreneur or a business owner and your employee is expecting a baby, we know that your biggest concern is – who and how pays for maternity leave?
Therefore, in this blog post, we will provide answers to several key questions.
WHO PAYS FOR MATERNITY LEAVE?
All earnings for an employed pregnant woman are paid by the employer. The state refunds the money paid to the employer from the day the employee became entitled to maternity leave.
WHO HAS RIGHT FOR MATERNITY LEAVE?
All employed women who are pregnant and need to maintain their pregnancy due to its nature have the right to maternity leave.
WHAT ABOUT REIMBURSEMENT FOR MATERNITY LEAVE?
When the pregnant woman opens a maternity leave based on a medical certificate from her chosen doctor, the employer is has the right to a reimbursement of 100% of the gross salary. The basis for this reimbursement is the average salary for the 12 months before the maternity leave. All earnings and contributions for the employee are paid by the employer, while the state reimburses the gross salary (net + taxes and contributions incurred by the employee).
HOW TO APPLY FOR REIMBURSEMENT?
The documentation for reimbursement must be submitted to the Health Insurance Fund and must include evidence of the existence of the maternity leave and the payment of maternity leave compensation to the employee. It is important to note that the deadline for submitting the application is 36 months from the day the maternity leave is opened.
PROTECTION OF PREGNANT EMPLOYEES' RIGHTS
During the period of maternity leave, the employer cannot cancel the Employment Contract of the pregnant employee.
REQUEST PROCESSING
After submitting the documentation, the Health Insurance Fund needs about 6 months to process the Request and send the salary calculation for the months for which reimbursement was requested to the employer’s address, as well as to refund the paid salary compensation.
For more information about maternity leave and reimbursement, follow our future blog posts!
If you have any additional questions, feel free to contact us!
