President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Labour Relations and Labour Amendment Acts into Law on Friday.

 

The Amendment Act includes provision for 10 weeks of parental Adoption leave if the baby is under the age 2 years (applies to one parent only) and surrogacy leave, as well as increased UIF and maternity benefits

Now an employee who is a parent not covered by maternity leave is entitled to 10 consecutive days of parental leave when their child is born or when an adoption order is granted.  Parental leave for fathers creates a valuable opportunity for fathers to do unpaid care work and to bond with their child