It was, on the face of it, good news to see that Malta had implemented a European directive which means that fathers will be receiving 10 days paid leave on the birth of their child – rather than the single day that they have been allowed till now.

The legislative changes were announced earlier this week by Parliamentary Secretary for Social Dialogue Andy Ellul.

Parents will also now be entitled to two months paid leave at the national parental leave rate and will also benefit from another two months of unpaid leave which will be transferable from one parent to another.

Parental paid leave may be taken gradually across the first eight years of parenthood, and in the first four years, parents must take 50% of the paid leave, equivalent to four weeks.

The new law also says that between the fourth and sixth years, parents can take two weeks paid leave, whilst the remaining two weeks of paid leave can be taken between the sixth and eighth years.

Government will also be introducing a “carers’ leave” which allows parents to take unpaid leave to take care of an unwell family member or someone in the family who needs caring for. This will entail a total of five days unpaid leave and will not be taken from the individual’s own personal or sick leave. This form of leave will be available for people to take care of someone living in the same residence as them.

The new laws reflect the EU Work-Life Balance Directive, the lead negotiator of which was PN MEP David Casa, which grants European citizens several minimum rights for work-life balance.

Once again, these laws are a step in the right direction.  However, the pity is that the government has done the absolute bare minimum as late as it possibly can.

As an EU Member State, Malta was required to transpose these measures into law by August 2 this year. August 2 is in fact the date when Malta will introduce these legal changes.

The minimum period set out for paternity leave in the directive meanwhile was of 10 days, with Malta choosing to implement exactly that figure.  That is still a lot lower than what a number of other EU countries offer to fathers in paternity leave.

It is disappointing in a way that more initiative was not taken on the implementation of this directive. 

What is also disappointing is the reaction from the business community which, as, unfortunately with most things which include workers getting paid more in some way, shape, or form, said that more clarity on the amendments was needed and warned that it wasn’t pleased with having to pay for these new benefits themselves from 2024 (as the government is covering the benefits up until the end of 2023).

It is disappointing that after two years of being propped up by taxpayer’s money in the form of grants and schemes such as the wage supplement, where the taxpayer effectively paid for most of the salary of over 100,000 private sector workers, that employers and businesses feel so strongly against increases in benefits to the same taxpayers.

Malta could really have set itself apart as a country which puts a true focus on parenthood, and to also give the possibility of maternity and paternity leave being equal or close to equal. 

Instead, however, the government has chosen to wait until the last possible moment to do just the bare minimum.