MARIGOT--The Collectivité has confirmed that President Emmanuel Macron’s recent announcement about France doubling paid paternity leave from fourteen days to 28 days as of July 1, 2021, will also apply in St. Martin.
“When a baby arrives in the world there is no reason it should be just the mother who takes care of it,” Macron said, insisting that there should be more equality in sharing parental responsibility.
Of these 28 days, seven will be mandatory. Paternity leave concerns all workers, regardless of their contract, and applies to the second parent, regardless of their sex. An employee who is not the father of the child but who lives with the mother as a couple will be able to benefit from paternity leave on condition that he or she provides proof of a relationship with the mother, such as a marriage certificate or a certificate of cohabitation.
Paternity leave corresponds to the three days of birth leave, payable by the employer, plus 25 days of compensation from the social security system. The reform will thus be financed by Social Security, at an estimated cost of more than 500 million euros in 2021.
To receive compensation for paternity leave, a man must have worked at least 150 hours in the three months prior to the start of leave or have contributed on a salary of at least 10,302.25 euros in the last six months prior to the start of the leave. The allowance is between 70 and 75 per cent of pay. Some collective agreements allow the company to pay the remaining percentage.
