parental leave vs maternity leave

Both 'parental leave' and 'maternity leave' are correct phrases, but they are used in different contexts. 'Parental leave' refers to time off from work that can be taken by either parent for the birth or adoption of a child, while 'maternity leave' specifically refers to time off for a mother before and after childbirth. They are not interchangeable as 'maternity leave' is gender-specific, while 'parental leave' is gender-neutral.

Last updated: March 30, 2024 • 565 views

parental leave

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to refer to time off from work that can be taken by either parent for the birth or adoption of a child.

Use 'parental leave' when referring to time off that can be taken by either parent for the birth or adoption of a child.

Examples:

The company offers 12 weeks of paid parental leave to all employees.
He took parental leave to spend time with his newborn baby.

Show examples from the web [+]

Date from which an individual right to parental leave is granted
In all cases, the women were dismissed whilst on parental leave.
The Member States must make child care available and offer parental leave.
The EU should not have control over working time regulations, parental leave and other significant national issues.
In response, the Commission granted the applicant parental leave from 1 November 2004 until 30 April 2005.
We believe that well-developed statutory parental leave is of the utmost importance for every country.
Full pay for parental leave is quite correct.
Similarly, maternity or parental leave periods should not be counted.
In July 2008, they indicated their intention to negotiate on parental leave.
Subject: Self-employed women and parental leave
Thirdly, employers must facilitate parental leave for their employees, with support from the state if necessary.
Fathers should therefore be granted an inalienable right to parental leave following childbirth or the adoption of a child, without losing any employment rights.
It also provides protection from dismissal for workers who exercise their right to parental leave.
I regret the fact that we did not make more progress on parental leave.
is currently on parental leave (8)
It refers to benefits granted for a child when one of parents is on parental leave.
The provision of long parental leave can also be a way of helping to reduce demand for childcare places.
Where there is a gap between the end of paid parental leave and entitlement to a place in a good-quality childcare setting, difficulties can arise for parents.
It therefore appears that we could introduce a directive, as we did for parental leave, in the next few years.
The number of staff on unpaid parental leave as at 31 December 2009 was 28 (compared with 26 in 2008).

Alternatives:

family leave
paternity leave
shared parental leave
parental bonding leave
caregiver leave

maternity leave

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to refer to time off specifically for a mother before and after childbirth.

Use 'maternity leave' when referring to time off specifically for a mother before and after childbirth.