Filenews 3 July 2022 - by Adamos Adamou
In addition to paternity and parental leave, the legislation promoted also provides for carers' leave. Specifically, an article of the draft bill provides that the employee will be entitled to take care leave without, however, remuneration, of five working days per year, if the need for this is documented.
This licence may be obtained in a lump sum or in instalments. It is also provided that the employee who intends to make use of the care leave must notify his employer in a timely manner, by presenting the appropriate supporting documents. According to the draft law, the Ministry of Labour will be able to issue a decree specifying serious medical officers for the purpose of caring leave. The draft further provides that the employee is also entitled to be absent from work without pay, seven working days per year, for reasons of force majeure related to urgent family reasons related to illness or accident that make the immediate presence of the employee necessary. The right to absence for reasons of force majeure may also be exercised in a lump sum or in part.
As we have written again, with the European directive and with what is being promoted, workers, who are parents of a child up to the age of eight, will also have the right to request flexible working arrangements for caring purposes, provided that they have completed six continuous employments.
Flexible working arrangements are recorded as the possibility for employees to adapt their form of employment, including through the use of teleworking arrangements, flexible working hours or the application of reduced working hours.
The employer will consider the request for flexible arrangements and will inform the employee in writing of his decision within one month of the submission of the request.
The draft bill ensures that the Inspection Service of the Ministry of Labour will have a role in the implementation of the law and its monitoring. In case of violation of the law and the conviction of an employer, a fine of no more than €7,500 is provided.
For the purpose of better implementation of the provisions of the law, the Council of Ministers will be able to issue regulations.
