In 2021, 6,186 men took , compared to 5,450 women. Four years earlier, only 3,675 men and 4,576 women took parental leave. These figures were revealed by labour minister, (LSAP), in response to a parliamentary question on extraordinary leave. The trend was reversed in 2019, when the share of men rose to 52%. But this is still not the case for other special leaves.
Regardless of gender, statistics from the general inspectorate of social security (IGSS) show that parental leave has been increasingly in demand. Each year, it is increasing faster than the number of employees, if we compare the data to number by national statistics bureau .
Most still choose the option of full-time leave, which can last up to six months: 46.8% in 2021. 29% preferred to take one day a week for 20 months. 22% chose part-time leave (50% working time for one year). The option of taking four one-month periods over 20 months was chosen by only 102 people.
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Family leave mostly taken by women
The fastest growing special leave is leave, which increased drastically in 2020 against the backdrop of the health crisis. It allows parents to take time off work when their child's condition requires the presence of one of the parents, and has been extended to children in quarantine or isolation due to covid.
As a result, social security funded 68,747 in 2020 and 52,776 in 2021. This compares with 35,592 family-related leaves in 2019. So in 2020, there are more than 2 million days of family leave. This falls back to 449,958 in 2021, still above the 106,468 days registered in 2019.
Unlike parental leave, it is still more women who chose this option: 58% in 2019, 53% in 2020 and 57% in 2021. This share has changed slightly since it was 59% in 2017 and 2018.
Similarly, 64% of leave, in the case of adoption, and 62% of leave a person at the end of life, was taken by women in 2021.
The number of fostering leaves, which increased between 2017 and 2019, has decreased since the start of the pandemic. The number of days of care leave has also decreased since the health crisis and will increase slightly again in 2021. 1,031 days of hospitality leave and 968 days of support leave were taken in 2021.
More than one million days of maternity leave
Social security has also funded more maternity leave over the years. As a reminder, women are entitled to 8 weeks before childbirth and 12 weeks after, in addition to parental leave. Men, on the other hand, can apply for 10 days of leave.
In 2017, 8,583 women took leave and in 2021, that number was 9,898. But this figure is increasing at almost the same rate as the number of women employed in Luxembourg, if we compare it with the Statec figures as they were 164,885 in 2017 and 187,675 four years later.
This represents a total of 1,017,453 days of maternity leave in 2021 and 877,538 in 2017.
This story was first published in French on . It has been translated and edited for Delano.