Swedes divided over new option to transfer parental leave to grandparents

In Sweden, where parental leave is the most generous in the world, it is also increasingly flexible. Since July 1, parents have been allowed to transfer part of their parental allowance to grandparents when they look after the children. Report from the streets of Stockholm.

In a country that has made work-life balance a pillar of its policy, a new step forward has just been taken. In Sweden, whose parental leave system is taken as an example in several European countries, parents have been able to transfer their leave to grandparents since 1 July. They can now receive 90 days of compensation, out of the 16 months of parental leave paid by the State, 14 of which are paid at 80% of salary.

“This law is very good: many parents want to return to work, but if we replace them, we have to be paid.”says Elisabeth, 68, a retired nurse, who keeps an eye on her four grandchildren near the paddling pool of a playground.

In Sweden, about one in two couples do not use all of the 480 days of parental leave they are entitled to. Parents with low incomes consider the loss of income too great in the long term. They return to work sooner, leaving the children with grandparents, since Swedish daycare centers do not accept children under one year old.

A little further into the park, Pontus, a mechanic, is not convinced by the spirit of this new reform. “Maybe it helps when you raise your child alone, but otherwise it’s up to the parents to take care of it, says the father of two. I took six months of parental leave for the first and for the second, we would like to share equally with my wife, that’s the ambition.”

Pontus fears that these days off will becomeent “a bargaining chip”, which can be given “For people who are more distant from the family, I am not in favour of government-funded babysitting.” The law allows, under certain conditions, the transfer of benefits to anyone who does not have a job, does not receive unemployment benefit and is not studying.

In addition to possible abuses, some fear that employers will put pressure on parents to cut short their holidays and leave childcare to grandparents.