Maternity leave by country
The statutes in this table give a mother anything from 12 weeks (the United States) to 12 months (Australia) away from work around a birth, and they differ most on what she may not skip. Austria and Germany forbid work in a fixed period before and after the birth, although the German mother can waive the six weeks before it. In Japan the weeks before the birth start only when she asks. Norway fixes six weeks after the birth, Spain six of its 19, and Sweden two of at least 14, while Canada forbids the employer to force leave on her. Every row is read from the statute and quoted in its own language.
Scope of this guide
Canada: the Canada Labour Code (federal sector) and the Ontario statutes that LawAsked has loaded. Other provinces are not compared.
United States: federal law only. State law is not compared.
| Country | Length of leave | Before the birth | After the birth | Compulsory part |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 16 weeks (8 + 8) | 8 weeks | 8 weeks, at least 12 after a premature birth, multiple birth or caesarean | Both periods: no work allowed |
| Australia | 12 months, unpaid | May start up to 6 weeks before the expected birth | Rest of the 12 months, within 24 months of the birth | None fixed |
| Canada | Up to 17 weeks | May begin up to 13 weeks before the estimated date | Up to 17 weeks after the actual date | None: the employer may not require leave because of pregnancy |
| Germany | 14 weeks (6 + 8) | 6 weeks | 8 weeks, 12 after a premature or multiple birth or a disability of the child | 8 weeks after the birth; the 6 weeks before can be waived by the mother |
| Spain | 19 weeks | May start up to 4 weeks before the expected date | Rest of the 19 weeks | 6 weeks immediately after the birth |
| Japan | 14 weeks (6 + 8) | 6 weeks (14 weeks for a multiple pregnancy), on her request | 8 weeks | 6 weeks after the birth |
| Norway | Up to 12 weeks during pregnancy | 6 weeks | 6 weeks after the birth, unless a doctor certifies she is better off working | |
| Sweden | At least 14 weeks (7 + 7) | At least 7 weeks | 7 weeks | 2 weeks, before or after the birth |
| United Kingdom | At least 26 weeks (ordinary maternity leave) | At least 2 weeks | ||
| United States | 12 weeks, may be unpaid | Entitlement expires 12 months after the birth |
Country by country
Austria
- Rule
- Mutterschutzgesetz 1979 §§ 3, 5
- The statute bars the employer from employing the mother in both periods, so the weeks are compulsory in the sense that work is forbidden, not merely allowed.
- The post-birth period is lengthened when the pre-birth eight weeks were cut short, up to a maximum of 16 weeks after the birth (§ 5 Abs. 1).
Werdende Mütter dürfen in den letzten acht Wochen vor der voraussichtlichen Entbindung (Achtwochenfrist) nicht beschäftigt werden. Dienstnehmerinnen dürfen bis zum Ablauf von acht Wochen nach ihrer Entbindung nicht beschäftigt werden.Bei Frühgeburten, Mehrlingsgeburten oder Kaiserschnittentbindungen beträgt diese Frist mindestens zwölf Wochen. Australia
- Rule
- Fair Work Act 2009 ss 70, 71, 73
- This is unpaid parental leave that covers the birth; there is no separate maternity block. Leave needs 12 months of continuous service (section 67), with a separate rule for regular casuals.
- Section 73 lets the employer require unpaid leave in the 6 weeks before the birth only when the employee gives no fit-for-work certificate, or a certificate saying she is unfit or should not stay in her position. The statute sets no fixed compulsory weeks.
An employee is entitled to 12 months of unpaid parental leave if the period of leave may start: (a) up to 6 weeks before the expected date of birth of the child The employer may require the employee to take a period of unpaid parental leave Canada
- Rule
- Canada Labour Code ss 206, 208
- Covers employees under the Canada Labour Code (federal sector); Ontario and the other provinces set their own leave and are not read here. The leave is extended if the birth has not occurred in the 17 weeks, and while the child is in hospital, to a maximum of 52 weeks (s. 206(1.1) to (3)).
- Section 208 lets an employer require leave only when the employee cannot perform an essential function and no suitable job is available, and only for that time.
- The Code does not say whether the leave is paid.
a leave of absence from employment of up to 17 weeks, which leave may begin not earlier than 13 weeks prior to the estimated date of her confinement and end not later than 17 weeks following the actual date of her confinement no employer shall require an employee to take a leave of absence from employment because the employee is pregnant Germany
- Rule
- Mutterschutzgesetz § 3
- The mother may declare that she is willing to work in the six weeks before the birth and may withdraw that declaration at any time. There is no such waiver for the weeks after the birth.
- The 12-week period after a disability of the child applies only if the mother applies for it.
Der Arbeitgeber darf eine schwangere Frau in den letzten sechs Wochen vor der Entbindung nicht beschäftigen (Schutzfrist vor der Entbindung), soweit sie sich nicht zur Arbeitsleistung ausdrücklich bereit erklärt.Der Arbeitgeber darf eine Frau bis zum Ablauf von acht Wochen nach der Entbindung nicht beschäftigen (Schutzfrist nach der Entbindung).Die Schutzfrist nach der Entbindung verlängert sich auf zwölf Wochen Spain
- Rule
- Estatuto de los Trabajadores art. 48.4
- The 19 weeks are the suspension of the contract for the birth mother and, separately, for the other parent. A single parent has 32 weeks.
- The six weeks after the birth must be taken full time. The statute does not say whether the leave is paid.
suspenderá el contrato de trabajo de la madre biológica y el del progenitor distinto de la madre biológica durante diecinueve semanasSeis semanas ininterrumpidas inmediatamente posteriores al parto serán obligatorias y habrán de disfrutarse a jornada completa.la madre biológica podrá anticipar su ejercicio hasta cuatro semanas antes de la fecha previsible del parto Japan
- Rule
- 労働基準法 第六十五条
- Before the birth the employer must release her only if she asks. After the birth the employer may not employ her for eight weeks, but after six weeks she may ask to return to work a doctor approves.
- The statute does not say whether the leave is paid.
使用者は、六週間（多胎妊娠の場合にあつては、十四週間）以内に出産する予定の女性が休業を請求した場合においては、その者を就業させてはならない。使用者は、産後八週間を経過しない女性を就業させてはならない。ただし、産後六週間を経過した女性が請求した場合において、その者について医師が支障がないと認めた業務に就かせることは、差し支えない。 Norway
- Rule
- Arbeidsmiljøloven §§ 12-2, 12-4
- These sections give the pregnancy leave and the six weeks after the birth. Further parental leave is in § 12-5 and is not part of this table, so no total is shown.
- The statute does not say whether the leave is paid.
Arbeidstaker som er gravid har rett til permisjon i inntil tolv uker under svangerskapet. Etter fødselen skal mor ha permisjon de første seks uker, med mindre hun fremlegger legeattest om at det er bedre for henne å komme i arbeid. Sweden
- Rule
- Föräldraledighetslag (1995:584) 4 §
- The right is to full leave for a continuous period of at least seven weeks before the expected date and seven weeks after the birth.
- The leave does not have to come with parental benefit: the statute says it need not be tied to a payment of föräldrapenning.
har rätt till hel ledighet i samband med sitt barns födelse under en sammanhängande tid av minst sju veckor före den beräknade tidpunkten för förlossningen och sju veckor efter förlossningenskall två veckor av denna mammaledighet vara obligatoriska under tiden före eller efter förlossningenMammaledighet behöver inte vara förenad med att föräldrapennning betalas ut. United Kingdom
- Rule
- Employment Rights Act 1996 ss 71, 72
- The Act sets only the minimum: the exact leave period, when it starts and the compulsory period are worked out under regulations the Act does not reproduce, so the before and after columns are blank. A separate additional maternity leave period also exists under section 73.
- The employer commits an offence if it lets an employee who meets the prescribed conditions work during the compulsory period.
shall secure that, where an employee has a right to leave under this section, she is entitled to an ordinary maternity leave period of at least 26 weeks An employer shall not permit an employee who satisfies prescribed conditions to work during a compulsory maternity leave period.Regulations under subsection (2) shall secure— a that no compulsory leave period is less than two weeks United States
- Rule
- Family and Medical Leave Act 29 U.S.C. § 2612
- Federal law only. The 12 workweeks are one total for all family and medical reasons in a 12-month period, covering the birth of a child, not a separate maternity entitlement, and apply to an eligible employee, a term defined elsewhere in the Act.
- The Act says the leave may consist of unpaid leave. It does not say when the leave starts relative to the birth, and it sets no compulsory period.
an eligible employee shall be entitled to a total of 12 workweeks of leave during any 12-month periodBecause of the birth of a son or daughter of the employee and in order to care for such son or daughter.may consist of unpaid leaveThe entitlement to leave under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1) for a birth or placement of a son or daughter shall expire at the end of the 12-month period beginning on the date of such birth or placement. Countries not in this table yet
France and the Netherlands are not shown: the maternity provisions of the French Code du travail and the Dutch Wet arbeid en zorg are not among the ingested statutes.
How this table was built
Every row is taken from the official, consolidated text of the statute, which LawAsked loads from each government’s legislation service.
Each figure is tied to a passage quoted word for word from that text. When the page is served, it checks that every quoted passage is still in the current text of a law that is in force; if a law is amended and its wording changes, that row is hidden until a person reviews it again.
The table shows the statutory minimum only. Collective agreements, awards and individual contracts often give more than the statute, and some countries let a collective agreement set different terms.
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LawAsked, “Maternity leave by country”, https://lawasked.com/guides/maternity-leave-by-country (reviewed October 25, 2026).
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