According to the authors of the initiative, there is currently an unjustified discrepancy in legal regulation between these periods and other periods that are already considered part of the insurance record—such as periods of temporary disability or childcare until the child reaches the age of 3.
Paternity leave, introduced into law in 2016, provides for the payment of benefits from the state social insurance budget; however, this period itself is not currently taken into account when determining the insurance record for pension eligibility. The proposed changes aim to eliminate this discrepancy and ensure social protections for benefit recipients.
The bill also provides for the introduction of the concept of an “employee with family responsibilities” into the Labor Code. According to the document, such an employee will be considered a person who cares for, supports, assists, or provides financial support to a family member, including dependents with disabilities.
The introduction of this concept into national legislation is intended to provide additional legal safeguards in the areas of labor relations and social protection.
In addition, the bill expands protections regarding night work. Thus, single parents raising children under the age of 16 may be assigned to night shifts only with their written consent. Currently, this provision applies to employees with children under the age of 4 or children with disabilities.
The changes will take effect three months after publication in the “Official Gazette” (Monitorul Oficial).
Under current law, maternity leave is at least 126 calendar days and may be extended in the event of a complicated delivery or multiple births. Paternity leave is granted for up to 15 calendar days.
