The increase in the number of parents requesting maternity leave is a natural result of a change in the law, according to which the indemnization for raising a child increased from RON 600 to 85 percent of the value of the salary earned in the year prior to the child’s birth. Similarly, maternity leave may also serve as a solution to avoid a drop in salary or the loss of a job.
Viorel Alexandru, President of the National Agency for Social Services (ANPS), believes that the rise in the number of parents applying for indemnization to raise their child is due exclusively to the legislative change which went into effect this year. Human resource specialists working for multinational companies explain the phenomenon as a possible “shield” against the economic crisis.
“For many women, this year is a good one to conceive a child or apply for maternity leave because, as we know, the law protects maternity, making it very difficult for an employer to lay off pregnant employees without a valid reason. There is no doubt that many women, if not all, have felt much more shielded from the against the crisis this year,” said Corina Neagu, HR Manager of the Alison Hayes Romania company.
