Last month, the United Nations announced changes to its parental leave policy. Many welcome the move, but there remain questions on its implementation.
Under the new policy, all parents are given the same paid time off of 16 weeks, regardless of gender. The same applies to parents adopting a child. Birth mothers are given an additional 10 weeks, extending their parental paid leave to a total of 26 weeks.
The changes are part of a decision by the International Civil Service Commission — which regulates U.N. staff employment conditions — approved by the U.N. General Assembly. Before, only birth mothers were given 16 weeks of paid leave. Fathers working in family duty stations received four weeks of paid time off, and eight weeks for those in nonfamily duty stations, where dependents of staff cannot stay for six months or longer due to safety and security reasons.