The bill on grief leave for parents who lose their child was approved by the Icelandic government on March 29th, RÚV reports. This revolutionary bill will guarantee bereaved parents the right to a leave of absence, as well as payments that will cover the loss of income.
This bill has been in the works for some time now. Drafting began about two years ago, but the coronavirus pandemic that followed contributed to its delay.
Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson, now Minister of Social Affairs and the Labor Market, expressed satisfaction with getting the bill passed into law.
“It is very gratifying to present a bill on mourning leave,” he said. “It is a huge shock to lose a child and with this bill we are better able to handle parents and families who suffer from that trauma, so that they can cope better with the grief without worrying about income or work obligations.”
Parents should be able to exercise their right to a six-month leave of absence simultaneous to the reduced employment rate, and over an extended period of time. Maximum payments will be of 600,000 ISK per month.
Implemented correctly, this bill should hopefully help parents process the unimaginable pain that comes with the loss of a child.
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