The amendment of the Basic Employment Condition Act, in respect of Parental Leave, adoption leave and commissioning parental leave, is in operation for just over 2-years already. This law recognises the importance of family bonding time between the parents and a child. It specifically includes the rights of biological fathers, same-sex parents, transgender parents, adoptive parents and even surrogates.
In essence, an employee, who is a parent of a child, is entitled to at least ten consecutive days parental leave, an adoptive parent of a child who is below the age of two, is entitled to adoption leave of at least ten weeks consecutively, a commissioning parent in a surrogate motherhood agreement is entitled to commissioning parental leave of at least ten weeks consecutively.
The complete provisions of the amendment to the Basic Employment Condition Act, 1997, is set out below:
Parental Leave
25A.
(1) An employee, who is a parent of a child, is entitled to at least ten consecutive days of parental leave.
(2) An employee may commence parental leave on-
(a) the day that the employee’s child is born; or
(b) the date—
(i) that the adoption order is granted; or
(ii) that a child is placed in the care of a prospective adoptive parent by a competent court, pending the finalisation of a 30-day-adoption order in respect of that child, whichever date occurs first.
(3) An employee must notify an employer in writing, unless the employee is unable to do so, of the date on which the employee intends to—
(a) commence parental leave; and
(b) return to work after parental leave.
(4) Notification in terms of subsection (3) must be given—
(a) at least one month before the—
(i) employee’s child is expected to be born; or
(ii) date referred to in subsection 2(b); or
(b) if it is not reasonably practicable to do so, as soon as is reasonably practicable.
(5) The payment of commissioning parental benefits will be determined by the Minister, subject to the provisions of the Unemployment Insurance Act, 2001 (Act No. 63 of 2001).
Adoption Leave
25B.
(1) An employee, who is an adoptive parent of a child who is below the age of two, is subject to subsection (6), entitled to—
(a) adoption leave of at least ten weeks consecutively; or
(b) the parental leave referred to in section 25A.
(2) An employee may commence adoption leave on the date—
(a) that the adoption order is granted; or
(b) that a child is placed in the care of a prospective adoptive parent by a competent court, pending the finalisation of an adoption order in respect of that child, whichever date occurs first.
(3) An employee must notify an employer in writing, unless the employee is unable to do so, of the date on which the employee intends to—
(a) commence adoption leave; and
(b) return to work after adoption leave.
(4) Notification in terms of subsection (3) must be given—
(a) at least one month before the date referred to in subsection (2); or
(b) if it is not reasonably practicable to do so, as soon as is reasonably practicable.
(5) The payment of parental benefits will be determined by the Minister, subject to the provisions of the Unemployment Insurance Act, 2001 (Act No. 63 of 2001).
(6) If an adoption order is made in respect of two adoptive parents, one of the adoptive parents may apply for adoption leave and the other adoptive parent may apply for the parental leave referred to in section 25A: Provided that the selection of choice must be exercised at the option of the two adoptive parents.
(7) If a competent court orders that a child is placed in the care of two prospective adoptive parents, pending the finalisation of an adoption order in respect of that child, one of the prospective adoptive parents may apply for adoption leave and the other prospective adoptive parent may apply for the parental leave referred to in section 25A: Provided that the selection of choice must be exercised at the option of the two prospective adoptive parents.
Commissioning parental leave
25C.
(1) An employee, who is a commissioning parent in a surrogate motherhood agreement is, subject to subsection (6), entitled to—
(a) commissioning parental leave of at least ten weeks consecutively; or
(b) the parental leave referred to in section 25A.
(2) An employee may commence commissioning parental leave on the date a child is born as a result of a surrogate motherhood agreement.
(3) An employee must notify an employer in writing, unless the employee is unable to do so, of the date on which the employee intends to—
(a) commence commissioning parental leave; and
(b) return to work after commissioning parental leave.
(4) Notification in terms of subsection (3) must be given—
(a) at least one month before a child is expected to be born as a result of a surrogate motherhood agreement; or
(b) if it is not reasonably practicable to do so, as soon as is reasonably practicable.
(5) The payment of commissioning parental benefits will be determined by the Minister, subject to the provisions of the Unemployment Insurance Act, 2001 (Act No. 63 of 2001).
(6) If a surrogate motherhood agreement has two commissioning parents, one of the commissioning parents may apply for commissioning parental leave and the other commissioning parent may apply for the parental leave referred to in section 25A: Provided that the selection of choice must be exercised at the option of the two commissioning parents.