Maternity leave in the Netherlands is a minimum period of leave for the pregnant employee of 16 weeks. When the employee is pregnant, she will receive a statement from her obstetrician with the expected birth date. The maternity leave benefit has to be applied for within 4 to 2 weeks before the expected birth date.
The pregnancy leave can start any day between 6 to 4 weeks before the expected birth date. This is the choice of the employee and employer, and will continue for at least 10 weeks after the expected birth date. The employee has the right to a minimum of 16 weeks leave.
In the situation that the employee started her leave 6 weeks before the expected birth date, the actual birth was a week later than expected, then the total leave will than be 17 weeks; 7 weeks before birth date and 10 weeks after.
The employee started her leave 6 weeks before the expected birth date. She gave birth 1 week early. She will have the right to the minimum of 16 weeks of leave; 5 weeks before and 11 weeks after giving birth. When the employee will give birth before the leave is started, the UWV (social institute in charge of the benefits) needs to be informed immediately. She will have the right to the minimum of 16 weeks leave.
The amount of the benefit the employee has the right to, depends on the wage she earned in the 12 months before the leave starts.
The paternity leave is two days, basically only to report the child to city hall.
