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Comment by dustinmoris | Hacker News Reader

Lol, 90% reimbursed by the government? No it's definitely not in the UK, not in Austria, not in Germany and any other European country I know. It's quite simple, the government introduces a law of minimum leave and all companies in the country either oblidge or have to leave. Not being able to serve a rich market like Europe is not an option, so that's really incentive enough for them to follow the rules.

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It's 90% for the first six weeks and is taxable, for maternity leave only, then some low amount of a few hundred a month for the rest. There's a separate entitlement for unpaid parental leave. Many employers pay higher and for longer than statutory amounts.

The figure you have in mind there is the percentage of the employee's salary that they are legally guaranteed as maternity pay. The percentage the grandparent/parent comment is talking about is the percentage of the employer's total outlay on maternity pay that they can then claim back from the government (which turns out to be either 92% or 103% of the statutory minimum payment).

In Norway the government will pay you 100% for 49 weeks or 80% for 59 weeks with a cutoff at $66k. (Slightly above national average). Most/all tech employers will cover the remaining part of your salary.

No, you’re wrong. The policies differ between various places, and it’s not always 90% of last pay, but almost always it is government or social security who foots the bill, not the employer.

https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umlage_U2

In Germany companies get reimbursed100% 6 weeks before and 8 weeks after birth, which is motherhood protection leave during which mothers are not allowed to work with regular pay (part of which comes from health insurance, the rest from the employer)

Parental leave is unpaid but you cannot fire someone for or during taking it.

>not in Germany

While on parenteral leave (Elternzeit) above the mandated minimum (Mutterschutz) you don't even get paid by your employer but you get 66% of your last pay up to a maximum amount from social securities.

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