In Sweden, new parental leave has been extended to grandparents and friends. New rules now allow parents to transfer up to 45 days of their paid leave to someone who isn’t the child’s legal guardian (such as a relative or a friend) as long as the person is insured for parental allowance, which most people in Sweden are. Single parents can transfer up to 90 days per child from the total 480 days of paid leave.
Retirees can also take parental leave, for example, in which case the compensation is based on the person’s pension. The recipient of the parental allowance may not look for work or study when they receive it.
In 1974, Sweden was the first nation to introduce paid paternity leave, and 50 years later, new fathers take 30% of parental leave. Greater gender parity in parental leave is linked with greater gender in the workforce as it evens to the distribution of unpaid care work, 76% of which is done by women globally. The new rules came into force on 1st July 2024 in Sweden and aim to give families more flexibility and make it easier for them to balance career and family life.
