Ask any American working parent about parental leave and you will get an earful about how woefully pitiful parental leave policies are in this country. Unlike most other countries around the world, the United States doesn't have any federal policies around parental leave, leaving it up to individual states to decide. It's no wonder that when a Slovakian mom posted on Instagram about the amount of parental leave she can take, American parents began researching how to move to Slovakia.
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The mom shared an Instagram reel of her little one running after some birds with the words "In Slovakia we get 3 years of paid parental leave" over it. She followed up in the caption, explaining, "And I’m not kidding. After 34 weeks of maternity leave, one parent can stay with the child until he/she turns 3 years old."
"The employer will keep the position and after the kid enters kindergarten, parent returns to work," they continued.
"Parents can even share the time they spend with the child at home. We get around 500€ per month from the government to take care of the kid. Many parents in Slovakia use this benefit and stay at home at least 2 years. How is it in your country?" she asked.
She wasn't prepared for the comments
Naturally, many American parents began to respond, showing her and the rest of the world just how bad things are here when it comes to paid parental leave.
"In America, we get laid off while on maternity leave. ," one person commented.
"On behalf of the US: We bring our laptops to the delivery room so we can work remotely during Labor," another person replied.
"Cries American tears ," another comment read.
"I don’t even get maternity leave in the 'land of the free' ," someone else shared.
Before you try emigrating to Slovakia, here's what you need to know. The Slovakian government is required to pay those on parental leave 75% of their regular incomes. Women are entitled to 34 weeks of paid maternity leave, typically beginning six weeks before her due date after working for 60 days at the company. Single moms are entitled to 37 weeks, and moms who have a multiple birth are eligible for 43 weeks of paid maternity leave. Employers are also obligated to provide a parent with parental leave until the child is 3-years-old.
