MK Tamar Zandberg (Meretz) has proposed a law that has the unusual support of both the Right and Left, from coalition members and opposition members.
Currently, when a person's wife gives birth to a baby, his employer gives him the day of the birth off of work, and the day of the bris. The days in between must normally be worked as usual, or vacation days used to cover them.
Zandberg's law, signed on by David Bitton of the Likud, Shuli Muallem of Habayit Hayehudi and others, would give the father of the baby officially sanctioned time off from the birth until after the bris. The "time off" would be made up of 3 days of paid vacation and another 5 days to be considered sick days without requiring approval of the boss.
Zandberg says the law proposal is meant o resolve an absurd situation in which the newborn baby is considered the mother's alone, with the father entirely out of the picture, with his rights and obligations to his wife and baby being taken away from him.
source: Yediot
The proposal has this unusual support across the spectrum of politics because it makes sense and is necessary.
I do wonder if the 5 days of sick days would be deducted form the overall number of sick days allocated to employees. What if the new father has used some already and does not have enough remaining? With the 3 vacation days as well - what if the employee does not have enough in his bank of vacation days? And, why should the employer have to pay for these days, if they are not being deducted from the overall bank of vacation and sick days? Why not just call it all paid vacation, to be paid perhaps by Bituach Leumi, as if the person was doing his reserve duty?
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