1) How Czech maternity and parental leave fits together
From an international HR perspective, the hardest part is understanding how the different pieces – maternity leave, paternity leave, parental leave and parental allowance – interact. In short:
- Maternity leave: time off for the mother around birth, paid from sickness insurance.
- Paternity leave: short support period for the other parent, also paid from sickness insurance.
- Parental leave: long job-protected leave under the Labour Code.
- Parental allowance: cash benefit for caring for the youngest child, paid by the state.
Employers mainly deal with timing, reporting to the social security office (ČSSZ) and keeping the employment relationship compliant during and after these periods.
2) Maternity leave and maternity benefit
Maternity leave normally starts 6–8 weeks before the expected due date. The standard length is 28 weeks for one child and 37 weeks for twins or more. At least 14 weeks must be taken in total and at least 6 weeks after the birth.
If the mother has at least 270 days of sickness insurance in the last two years, she is usually entitled to maternity benefit. This is paid directly by ČSSZ and comes to roughly 70% of the reduced daily assessment base. During maternity leave the employer does not pay salary, but the employee remains on the books and protected from dismissal.
3) Paternity leave – support for the other parent
The other parent (typically the father) can take paternity leave up to 2 weeks within six weeks after birth or the start of foster care. It is usually taken in one block and is also covered by sickness insurance benefits, calculated on the same reduced base as maternity benefit.
For HR and payroll, paternity leave means a temporary switch from salary to benefit, plus another period of dismissal protection. It is good practice to have a simple internal form and workflow for these requests so managers do not improvise.
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The terminology is confusing because “parental leave” and “parental allowance” sound almost identical. In reality they come from different laws and can follow slightly different timelines.
- Parental leave: time away from work, granted by the employer, usually until age 3.
- Parental allowance: money from the state for caring for the youngest child.
The total parental allowance is CZK 350,000 for one child and CZK 525,000 for multiple children. Parents can choose the monthly amount within legal minimum and maximum limits – faster drawing means a higher monthly payment but a shorter period. Only one parent draws the allowance at a time, but they can switch.
It is possible to receive parental allowance and still work, as long as full-time care for the child is ensured (for example by another adult or a nursery). This is where foreign HR teams often need local guidance to avoid incorrect assumptions about “not allowed to work”.
5) Job protection and return to work
Pregnant employees and parents on maternity, paternity or parental leave are in a protected period. Standard business terminations are not allowed; only a few specific grounds apply (for example complete closure of the employer or very serious misconduct).
On return from maternity or parental leave, the employer should place the employee back into their original job, or if that is objectively impossible, into another role that matches the employment contract. Planning the return in advance – ideally a few months before the intended date – reduces stress on both sides.
6) Simple workflow for HR & payroll
To keep Czech maternity and parental leave cases under control, a short repeatable process helps more than a long policy document. You can adapt the checklist below to your HRIS or internal tracker.
Disclaimer: This article is a general overview of Czech maternity and parental leave in 2025. It does not replace legal advice. Always check the latest legislation and your internal policies before making decisions in individual cases.