Leave Policies and Research: A Cross-National Overview

Leave policies for working parents are today widespread among affluent countries, and are required by law in the member states of the European Union. This article reviews leave policies (maternity, paternity, and parental leaves as well as leave to care for sick children) in a wide range of countries, both within and outside the EU, highlighting the main similarities and differences and identifying directions discernible in recent policy developments. It then scopes the knowledge base on the use, practice and impact of leave policies and analyzes why leave policies vary so greatly between countries. The article concludes with a discussion of future challenges and directions for policy and research. (C) 2006 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.