Parental leave extended to 14 months – 12 months for mothers, two for fathers; implementation upon EU accession

At the proposal of the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Dialogue, the Montenegrin Cabinet has adopted amendments to the Draft Law on Amendments to the Labour Law, introducing parental leave in the total duration of 14 months from the date of a child’s birth.

Under the adopted amendments, parental leave for mothers remains 12 months, while the additional two months are allocated to fathers as a non-transferable portion of parental leave.

The amendments further stipulate that the 14-month parental leave entitlement will apply from the date of Montenegro’s accession to the European Union, in order to ensure full implementation and transposition of Directive (EU) 2019/1158 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on work–life balance for parents and carers.

The adopted amendments are the result of intensive communication between the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Dialogue and the European Commission.