Poland’s lower house voted unanimously to amend the Labor Code to extend leave for mothers and fathers of children born prematurely and hospitalized after delivery.
The bill also passed very quickly, with the first reading taking place just last Thursday, Nov. 21. However, despite the amendments submitted, it was not debated in the Sejm committee, with most MPs supporting the motion to proceed to a vote without referring the bill to the committee.
“Joy and gratitude, great admiration for those who contributed to the creation of this act. The Sejm unanimously supports premature babies. A wonderful and moving vote,” the Minister of Labor Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk, whose ministry came up with the bill, told Business Insider.
“Gratitude and relief. This is what we feel on the day when the MPs unanimously said yes to premature babies and their parents. A matter that had been unheard for years was effectively resolved within a year. This is a true act of cooperation,” said Elżbieta Brzozowska, vice-president of the Coalition for Premature Babies and representative of the All-Poland Agreement Together for Premature Babies.
“I feel great joy and emotion today, as a member of parliament, but above all as a mother of a premature baby. The Sejm unanimously adopted the act extending maternity leave for parents of premature babies. In doing so, we have ended the senseless law that robbed us, parents of premature babies, of time spent together with our children,” said Aleksandra Leo, MP of Poland 2050.
The bill now has to go to the Senate, and President Andrzej Duda must sign it; it is expected to come into force between March and April 2025.
According to the new law, parents of children born prematurely and hospitalized after birth will be entitled to additional maternity leave: one week for each week the child is in hospital.
If children are born before the 28th week of pregnancy or with a birth weight of no more than 1000 grams, parents will be able to benefit from up to 15 weeks of additional leave.
Parents of a child born between the 28th and 37th week of pregnancy with a birth weight of more than 1,000 grams will be entitled to up to eight weeks of additional leave.
Longer maternity leave — up to eight weeks — will also be available to parents of a child born after the 36th week of pregnancy and requiring hospitalization of at least two consecutive days between the fifth and 28th day after birth.
