Israeli Fathers Can Double Paternity Leave and Receive Extra Pay Through Underused Benefit

In Israel, paternity leave is notably short compared to other developed countries, lasting only five days, with three days deducted from the father's vacation and two from sick leave. This places Israel near the bottom among OECD countries, where the average paid paternity leave is about two and a half weeks, while Spain leads with 16 weeks.

However, an underutilized benefit called "parallel leave" allows fathers to extend their time off by taking an additional week concurrently with the mother during the second week after childbirth. Unlike the option to replace the mother’s leave, which shortens her maternity leave, parallel leave does not reduce the mother’s time off but requires her to forgo one week of her maternity pay. The father then receives that week’s pay based on his salary.

Because of wage disparities in Israel, where men earn an average of 18,000 shekels monthly compared to 12,000 for women, this arrangement often results in a financial gain for the family, adding approximately 1,500 shekels. Beyond the financial benefit, officials highlight the importance of this time for family bonding and maternal recovery.

Despite these advantages, only about 350 fathers out of approximately 180,000 births annually apply for parallel leave. Irith Yona, a senior official at the National Insurance Institute, expressed regret over the low utilization, emphasizing the benefit's potential to strengthen family ties.

Until Israel expands paternity leave more broadly, awareness and use of the parallel leave option remain crucial for new fathers seeking to spend more time with their newborns and support their partners.