BIFRÖST School of Business

1. BIFRÖSTSchool of Business Maternity/ Paternity leave and equality • The Icelandic legislation on maternity/ paternity leave 7 July 2005 Elín Blöndal LL.M, ass. professor

2. Introduction • Act No. 95/2000, on Maternity/Paternity leave and Parental leave • Act No. 96/2000, on the Equal status and Equal rights of Women and Men • Art. 65, para 2 of the Icelandic Constitution: „Men and women shall enjoy equal rights in all respects“

3. Maternity/ paternity leave and equality • Formal, but not material equality • How does the legislation on Maternity/ Paternity leave support materal equality of men and women?

4. Act No. 95/2000 • Nine months maternity leave • Equal rights of public servants / workers on the private market • Equal rights of mothers and fathers • Three months for the mother • Three months for the father • Joint right to three additional months

5. Act No. 95/2000 • System based on flexibility • The Maternity / Paternity leave fund • 80% of the total salary • Minimum payments • Maximum payments

6. Guarantees for parents who take maternity/paternity leave from work • Right to employment • Protection against dissmissal • Liability

7. The importance of independent right to paternity leave • Access to the labour market • Value on the labour market • Support for the fathers • Value for the child • Value for the family, etc

8. For consideration • Is it (still) necessary to fix three months to fathers? • Is it necessary for working parents to receive 80% of their total salary during maternity/ paternity leave? • Has the legislation had any effects as towards equality in Iceland?