Tax & Accounting News

EU set to offer maternity leave to self-employed

27/05/2010

Self-employed women and the spouses of the self-employed are set to be offered maternity leave rights under a proposal set to be adopted by the EU on 7 June.

Under the proposed changes, self-employed women, or the spouses or life partners of self-employed business owners, would be entitled to the same social protection rights as other workers – in this case, 14 weeks of maternity leave.

The Council of the EU said that, although spouses and partners were not employees, they often provided help to their partners in their businesses.

Such individuals could be offered the option of joining a social insurance scheme, or may be compelled to do so – a decision that would be left to individual member states.