WORLD Policy Analysis Center

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Were paid leave policies in place prior to the pandemic that might be available to parents during school or childcare center closures?

Extended parental leave or single childcare leave entitlement means that paid leave might be available to parents if they have not already exhausted it. In some countries, parents can opt to save a portion of their parental leave to use when their child is older ;in other countries, there is a set amount of leave available for childcare needs until a child turns a certain age. These forms of paid leave could be available to parents during the pandemic, but may also have already been used for other care needs.

General discretionary or emergency leave means that paid leave is available to workers for casual, discretionary, or emergency reasons. This is an additional leave entitlement beyond paid annual leave.

Specific leave for child care, family needs, or school closures means that paid leave is available to workers specifically to address childcare or family needs. In some countries, paid leave policies already specifically address school closures due to epidemics or to address short-term child care needs on a regular or annual basis. In other countries, leave is broadly available for family needs, events affecting a workers’ household, or family emergencies. Paid leave policies specific to caring for sick children were not included here.

Countries

Algeria - No explicit paid leave

Andorra - No explicit paid leave

Antigua and Barbuda - No explicit paid leave

Argentina - No explicit paid leave

Armenia - No explicit paid leave

Azerbaijan - No explicit paid leave

Bahamas - No explicit paid leave

Barbados - No explicit paid leave

Belarus - No explicit paid leave

Belize - No explicit paid leave

Bolivia - No explicit paid leave

Bosnia and Herzegovina - No explicit paid leave

Botswana - No explicit paid leave

Brazil - No explicit paid leave

Brunei - No explicit paid leave

Bulgaria - No explicit paid leave

Burundi - No explicit paid leave

Cambodia - No explicit paid leave

Canada - No explicit paid leave

Cabo Verde - No explicit paid leave

Chad - No explicit paid leave

Chile - No explicit paid leave

China - No explicit paid leave

Colombia - No explicit paid leave

Democratic Republic of the Congo - No explicit paid leave

Costa Rica - No explicit paid leave

Cote d'Ivoire - No explicit paid leave

Cuba - No explicit paid leave

Cyprus - No explicit paid leave

Djibouti - No explicit paid leave

Dominica - No explicit paid leave

Dominican Republic - No explicit paid leave

Ecuador - No explicit paid leave

El Salvador - No explicit paid leave

Equatorial Guinea - No explicit paid leave

Eritrea - No explicit paid leave

Ethiopia - No explicit paid leave

France - No explicit paid leave

The Gambia - No explicit paid leave

Georgia - No explicit paid leave

Germany - No explicit paid leave

Ghana - No explicit paid leave

Greece - No explicit paid leave

Grenada - No explicit paid leave

Guatemala - No explicit paid leave

Guinea - No explicit paid leave

Guinea-Bissau - No explicit paid leave

Guyana - No explicit paid leave

Haiti - No explicit paid leave

Hungary - No explicit paid leave

India - No explicit paid leave

Indonesia - No explicit paid leave

Iran - No explicit paid leave

Iraq - No explicit paid leave

Ireland - No explicit paid leave

Israel - No explicit paid leave

Italy - No explicit paid leave

Jamaica - No explicit paid leave

Japan - No explicit paid leave

Jordan - No explicit paid leave

Kazakhstan - No explicit paid leave

Kenya - No explicit paid leave

Kuwait - No explicit paid leave

Kyrgyzstan - No explicit paid leave

Laos - No explicit paid leave

Lebanon - No explicit paid leave

Lesotho - No explicit paid leave

Liechtenstein - No explicit paid leave

Lithuania - No explicit paid leave

Madagascar - No explicit paid leave

Malawi - No explicit paid leave

Malaysia - No explicit paid leave

Malta - No explicit paid leave

Mauritius - No explicit paid leave

Mexico - No explicit paid leave

Moldova - No explicit paid leave

Monaco - No explicit paid leave

Mongolia - No explicit paid leave

Montenegro - No explicit paid leave

Morocco - No explicit paid leave

Mozambique - No explicit paid leave

Namibia - No explicit paid leave

Nepal - No explicit paid leave

New Zealand - No explicit paid leave

Nicaragua - No explicit paid leave

Niger - No explicit paid leave

Nigeria - No explicit paid leave

Norway - No explicit paid leave

Pakistan - No explicit paid leave

Panama - No explicit paid leave

Papua New Guinea - No explicit paid leave

Paraguay - No explicit paid leave

Peru - No explicit paid leave

The Philippines - No explicit paid leave

Portugal - No explicit paid leave

Qatar - No explicit paid leave

Russian Federation - No explicit paid leave

Rwanda - No explicit paid leave

San Marino - No explicit paid leave

Sao Tome and Principe - No explicit paid leave

Saudi Arabia - No explicit paid leave

Serbia - No explicit paid leave

Seychelles - No explicit paid leave

Somalia - No explicit paid leave

South Africa - No explicit paid leave

South Sudan - No explicit paid leave

Spain - No explicit paid leave

Sri Lanka - No explicit paid leave

St. Kitts and Nevis - No explicit paid leave

St. Lucia - No explicit paid leave

St. Vincent and the Grenadines - No explicit paid leave

Sudan - No explicit paid leave

Suriname - No explicit paid leave

Eswatini - No explicit paid leave

Switzerland - No explicit paid leave

Tajikistan - No explicit paid leave

Tanzania - No explicit paid leave

Thailand - No explicit paid leave

Timor-Leste - No explicit paid leave

Trinidad and Tobago - No explicit paid leave

Tunisia - No explicit paid leave

Türkiye - No explicit paid leave

Turkmenistan - No explicit paid leave

Uganda - No explicit paid leave

Ukraine - No explicit paid leave

United Arab Emirates - No explicit paid leave

United Kingdom - No explicit paid leave

United States of America - No explicit paid leave

Uruguay - No explicit paid leave

Uzbekistan - No explicit paid leave

Venezuela - No explicit paid leave

Vietnam - No explicit paid leave

Zambia - No explicit paid leave

Zimbabwe - No explicit paid leave

Austria - Extended parental leave or single childcare leave entitlement

Belgium - Extended parental leave or single childcare leave entitlement

Croatia - Extended parental leave or single childcare leave entitlement

Denmark - Extended parental leave or single childcare leave entitlement

Finland - Extended parental leave or single childcare leave entitlement

Republic of Korea - Extended parental leave or single childcare leave entitlement

Luxembourg - Extended parental leave or single childcare leave entitlement

Sweden - Extended parental leave or single childcare leave entitlement

Afghanistan - General discretionary or emergency leave

Bahrain - General discretionary or emergency leave

Bangladesh - General discretionary or emergency leave

Egypt - General discretionary or emergency leave

Libya - General discretionary or emergency leave

North Macedonia - General discretionary or emergency leave

Maldives - General discretionary or emergency leave

Myanmar - General discretionary or emergency leave

The Netherlands - General discretionary or emergency leave

Oman - General discretionary or emergency leave

Sierra Leone - General discretionary or emergency leave

Syria - General discretionary or emergency leave

Yemen - General discretionary or emergency leave

Albania - Specific leave for child care, family needs, or school closures

Angola - Specific leave for child care, family needs, or school closures

Australia - Specific leave for child care, family needs, or school closures

Benin - Specific leave for child care, family needs, or school closures

Bhutan - Specific leave for child care, family needs, or school closures

Burkina Faso - Specific leave for child care, family needs, or school closures

Cameroon - Specific leave for child care, family needs, or school closures

Central African Republic - Specific leave for child care, family needs, or school closures

Comoros - Specific leave for child care, family needs, or school closures

Republic of the Congo - Specific leave for child care, family needs, or school closures

Czech Republic - Specific leave for child care, family needs, or school closures

Estonia - Specific leave for child care, family needs, or school closures

Fiji - Specific leave for child care, family needs, or school closures

Gabon - Specific leave for child care, family needs, or school closures

Honduras - Specific leave for child care, family needs, or school closures

Iceland - Specific leave for child care, family needs, or school closures

Latvia - Specific leave for child care, family needs, or school closures

Liberia - Specific leave for child care, family needs, or school closures

Mali - Specific leave for child care, family needs, or school closures

Mauritania - Specific leave for child care, family needs, or school closures

Poland - Specific leave for child care, family needs, or school closures

Romania - Specific leave for child care, family needs, or school closures

Senegal - Specific leave for child care, family needs, or school closures

Singapore - Specific leave for child care, family needs, or school closures

Slovakia - Specific leave for child care, family needs, or school closures

Slovenia - Specific leave for child care, family needs, or school closures

Togo - Specific leave for child care, family needs, or school closures