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Maternity rights for self-employed and partners of self-employed – Maternity Leave and Pay
Thursday, August 12th, 2010
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New EU legislation came into force from 4 August, providing extended social protection rights for self-employed women and for the spouses and life partners of self-employed workers, particularly in cases of maternity. The minimum entitlement is to 14 weeks’ maternity leave and state maternity allowance. They also become entitled to social security coverage, such as pensions, on an equal basis as formal self-employed workers if the Member State offers such protection to self-employed workers.
The UK already provides up to 39 weeks’ maternity allowance for self-employed women. No statement has been made yet by the Department for Work and Pensions on how maternity allowance entitlement will be extended to non-employed female partners of self-employed workers.
As far as employees are concerned, the EU recently adopted a new Directive improving the right to parental leave and the Commission’s proposal for a revised Directive on maternity leave is currently in first reading by the European Parliament.
Further information:
Self-employed workers to gain maternity and pension benefits under new EU law
