• 14/11/2022
• By wizewebsite
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Maternal 2022. What are the rules and what is the counting of<

Monetary assistance in maternity, which is popularly called maternity leave, serves as a wage or salary replacement during maternity leave, which is also popularly called maternity leave. The so-called vacation and cash benefit are related, but it is better to distinguish them.

Maternity leave is provided to mothers by the employer - for a maximum period of 28 weeks (or 37 weeks if twins or multiples are born). The mother can start maternity leave eight to six weeks before the expected day of delivery, she can determine the start date herself within this range.

Maternity cash assistance is a benefit paid to parents by the state on the basis of sickness insurance. This benefit can be received from the beginning of maternity leave, i.e. no earlier than eight and no later than six weeks before the date of birth.

Maternity leave is then followed by parental leave - this is again provided by the employer. Do not be confused: in practice, you will often learn that someone is on "maternity leave" for two or three years, but by that they mean parental leave. It is also related to the payment of parental allowance - practically every parent can receive this amount of state social support, while only those who meet certain conditions prescribed by law can receive cash assistance in maternity.

Basic condition: sickness insurance

Participation in sickness insurance is decisive for the granting of cash assistance in maternity (maternity). It is one of the parts of the social insurance, which is compulsorily paid by the employer for each employee.

Officials will give you maternity leave if you meet the requirements of participation in sickness insurance for a period of 270 calendar days during the two years preceding the start of maternity leave. In other words: if you were employed for at least nine months in the two years prior to taking maternity leave.

In addition to participating in health insurance for a sufficiently long time, there is another condition to be met: being employed on the day of maternity leave. There is an exception for mothers who terminate their employment during pregnancy - the Labor Code sets a protective period of 180 days for them. This means: if you take maternity leave within 180 days of the end of your employment, you will be entitled to maternity allowance. If you find yourself in such a situation, do not forget to take into account when calculating that maternity leave starts already eight weeks (at the latest six weeks) before the expected date of birth.

The social security administration will then pay you cash maternity assistance for a maximum of 28 weeks for one child, 37 weeks for parents of twins and multiples. This is called the support period.

Attention: If you work under an employment agreement with earnings up to 3,500 crowns per month or work under an agreement to perform work with earnings up to 10,000 crowns per month, your employer does not pay health insurance for you.

Maternity cash assistance for entrepreneurs, i.e. self-employed persons, if they pay for health insurance voluntarily, are also governed by somewhat different rules. We are therefore dedicating a separate article to maternity for the self-employed. Apart from the change in the so-called reduction limits, basically the same rules apply as in 2021, which we have described in detail in this overview.

How is maternity pay calculated?

Exactly how much you get in maternity pay depends on your previous earnings.

Calculation of cash assistance in maternity 2022

When calculating cash assistance in maternity, officials start from the so-called daily assessment basis: the average gross income for the last twelve months budgeted for the day (gross monthly income × 12 months / 365 days).

Mateřská then makes 70 percent of the daily assessment base calculated in this way, which is, of course, further reduced by means of reduction limits. These are set for 2022 as follows:

For example, for a mother with a previous gross income of 30,000 crowns per month, this means cash maternity assistance in the amount of 20,730 crowns. If her monthly gross income were approximately 18,000 crowns, she would receive maternity leave of 12,450 crowns. The maximum amount of maternity pay in 2022 is 47,700 crowns.

Study, work abroad, sick leave

In practice, a situation often arises when the mother is not sure whether she will comply with the stated rules. Maybe during or just after studying. If the expectant mother is still studying, the period of study is not included in the days needed to be entitled to maternity leave. But when you get pregnant shortly after school, the time spent studying – at secondary, higher vocational and college or conservatories – can be counted as preparation for a future profession. However, in order to be granted maternity leave, it is also necessary to fulfill the second of the conditions: to be employed on the day of starting maternity leave.

Another problem that many mothers-to-be deal with: whether the amount of cash maternity assistance will affect previous sick leave. Given the high-risk pregnancy, mothers often use this immediately before starting maternity leave. Worries are unnecessary in this case. The amount of sick pay is not taken into account in any way, only the average earnings from employment over the last twelve months are decided. In other words: income before the start of incapacity for work.

It can be useful

Most mothers are also confused about how to proceed if they worked abroad shortly before becoming pregnant. Even a mother who does not accumulate the required period of participation in the Czech Republic's sickness insurance can receive cash assistance during maternity leave. The decisive factor is whether abroad she participated in the local social security system, or insurance for cash benefits in case of illness and maternity. In the Czech Republic, it is social insurance, abroad the specific name of this type of insurance may differ, or it is part of health insurance.

At the same time, it is necessary to distinguish whether it was insurance within the European Union or outside it. While in the EU the acquired insurance periods can be added up without exception, for countries outside it, it depends on which social security agreement the Czech Republic has concluded with them. For example, the agreement with Australia and Canada says: the period of insurance is counted only for pension entitlement. You can find a specific overview of information about individual countries on the website of the Czech Social Security Administration.

The following also applies to the summation of insurance periods accumulated abroad: participation in sickness insurance must be for a minimum of 270 days within two years, and the woman must be employed on the day she starts maternity leave. It is necessary to prove the period of insurance abroad to the district social security administration - the social security officials will advise you with a specific list.

Dads on maternity leave

However, the mother does not have to receive cash assistance during maternity leave - the child's father can also take her maternity leave (or the mother's husband, although he is not the child's biological father). However, even fathers on maternity leave must meet the above conditions: participate in sickness insurance for at least 270 days during the previous two years and be employed on the day of starting maternity leave.

Only the period for which men receive cash maternity assistance is shorter: a maximum of 22 weeks with one child, 31 in the case of multiples. The social worker will pay the fathers the benefit only after the end of the six-month period. When the child's mother takes maternity leave before giving birth or after six months, the period during which the father can take it is reduced by these days as well.

You must confirm in writing the agreement that the child's father (or husband) will receive financial assistance during maternity leave. The mother's signature must be verified - either officially, for example by a notary, or at CzechPoint, or by an official at the social welfare office. At the same time, it is necessary to provide the office with a completed form Application for financial assistance in maternity when the child is taken into care.

Agreement on taking over a child into care can be concluded no later than seven weeks after the birth of the child, it must be agreed for at least one week. In addition to the basic information about the parents (spouses) and the verified signature of the mother, the agreement itself must also contain the name and date of birth of the child and the date from which the man takes over custody.

Let's add that in addition to cash assistance in maternity and parental allowance, a benefit for paternal postnatal care, abbreviated paternity, is also paid. It replaces the loss of income for new fathers who want to stay at home and take part in care immediately after the birth of their child. They will be eligible for paternity if they meet certain conditions prescribed by law. The basic one is – as with maternity leave – participation in health insurance. We have described the rules of paternal pumping in detail in this text.

Family package

Jiří Hovorka

He has been writing about personal finances since 2009. He started in Měšec, then devoted himself to the same topics in Aktuálně.cz, after the merger with the publishing house Economia, his texts also appeared in Hospodářské noviny. He has been working on pensions for a long time,... More articles by the author.