WORLD Policy Analysis Center

Do countries guarantee agricultural workers access to paid maternal leave?

Agricultural workers are waged employees on farms and plantations who are employed by farmers, companies, or agricultural contractors. They do not own or rent the land on which they work—this category does not include tenant farmers and share-croppers if they aren’t remunerated by an employer. This indicator reflects the broadest possible legislative provisions that apply to agricultural workers and does not reflect provisions dedicated to agricultural workers engaged in single specific crop (e.g. tea), nor does it reflect provisions dedicated to seasonal workers. A small number of countries extend guarantees to paid leave to “informal workers” and those countries are included in this category.

Paid maternal leave includes both paid maternity leave, which is leave reserved for mothers of infants, and paid shared parental leave—which is leave available to either parent of an infant—that can be taken by women.

Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusions based on agricultural work means that workers are guaranteed national paid maternal leave, and legislation does not explicitly guarantee nor deny coverage to agricultural workers. This category includes a limited number of cases where legislation states that future legislation or regulations will determine the extent to which existing provisions apply to agricultural workers.

Guaranteed to agricultural workers means that legislation explicitly extends at least some paid maternal leave benefits to agricultural workers—this includes cases where available benefits are less generous than those available to other workers in the private sector. This category also includes countries which make guarantees to agricultural workers broadly, but exclude agricultural workers on small farms that employ fewer than a certain threshold of employees.

Countries

Marshall Islands - No national paid maternal leave

Micronesia, Federated States of - No national paid maternal leave

Nauru - No national paid maternal leave

Palau - No national paid maternal leave

Papua New Guinea - No national paid maternal leave

Tonga - No national paid maternal leave

United States of America - No national paid maternal leave

Bahrain - Agricultural workers excluded from paid leave

Benin - Agricultural workers excluded from paid leave

Bolivia - Agricultural workers excluded from paid leave

Brazil - Agricultural workers excluded from paid leave

China - Agricultural workers excluded from paid leave

Dominica - Agricultural workers excluded from paid leave

El Salvador - Agricultural workers excluded from paid leave

Republic of Korea - Agricultural workers excluded from paid leave

Liechtenstein - Agricultural workers excluded from paid leave

Qatar - Agricultural workers excluded from paid leave

Saudi Arabia - Agricultural workers excluded from paid leave

Sudan - Agricultural workers excluded from paid leave

United Arab Emirates - Agricultural workers excluded from paid leave

Afghanistan - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Albania - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Andorra - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Antigua and Barbuda - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Armenia - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Australia - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Bahamas - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Barbados - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Belarus - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Belgium - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Bhutan - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Bosnia and Herzegovina - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Botswana - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Brunei - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Bulgaria - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Burkina Faso - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Canada - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Cabo Verde - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Central African Republic - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Chad - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Comoros - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Democratic Republic of the Congo - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Republic of the Congo - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Cote d'Ivoire - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Croatia - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Cuba - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Cyprus - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Czech Republic - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Denmark - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Djibouti - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Egypt - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Equatorial Guinea - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Eritrea - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Estonia - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Fiji - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Gabon - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

The Gambia - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Georgia - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Germany - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Ghana - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Greece - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Greenland - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Grenada - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Guatemala - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Guyana - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Hungary - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Iceland - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Indonesia - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Iraq - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Ireland - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Israel - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Jamaica - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Japan - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Jordan - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Kazakhstan - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Kenya - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Kiribati - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Democratic People's Republic of Korea - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Kuwait - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Kyrgyzstan - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Laos - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Latvia - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Lesotho - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Liberia - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Libya - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Lithuania - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Luxembourg - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

North Macedonia - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Malawi - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Malaysia - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Maldives - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Mali - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Malta - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Mauritania - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Mauritius - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Moldova - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Monaco - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Mongolia - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Montenegro - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Mozambique - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Myanmar - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Namibia - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

The Netherlands - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

New Zealand - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Norway - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Oman - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Pakistan - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Poland - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Russian Federation - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Rwanda - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Sao Tome and Principe - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Senegal - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Serbia - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Seychelles - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Singapore - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Slovakia - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Solomon Islands - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Somalia - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

South Sudan - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Sri Lanka - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

St. Kitts and Nevis - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

St. Lucia - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Suriname - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Sweden - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Switzerland - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Tajikistan - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Timor-Leste - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Tuvalu - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Uganda - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Ukraine - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

United Kingdom - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Uruguay - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Vanuatu - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Vietnam - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Yemen - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Zambia - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Zimbabwe - Guaranteed to workers generally, no exclusion based on agricultural work

Algeria - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Angola - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Argentina - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Austria - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Azerbaijan - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Bangladesh - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Belize - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Burundi - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Cambodia - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Cameroon - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Chile - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Colombia - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Costa Rica - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Ecuador - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Ethiopia - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Finland - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

France - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Guinea - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Guinea-Bissau - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Haiti - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Honduras - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

India - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Iran - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Italy - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Lebanon - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Madagascar - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Mexico - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Morocco - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Nepal - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Nicaragua - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Niger - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Nigeria - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Panama - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Paraguay - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Peru - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

The Philippines - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Portugal - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Romania - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Samoa - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

San Marino - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Sierra Leone - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Slovenia - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

South Africa - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Spain - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

St. Vincent and the Grenadines - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Eswatini - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Syria - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Tanzania - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Thailand - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Togo - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Trinidad and Tobago - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Tunisia - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Türkiye - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Turkmenistan - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Uzbekistan - Guaranteed to agricultural workers

Venezuela - Guaranteed to agricultural workers