Maternity leave bill proposed by MK Orly Levy-Abecassis (Israel Beiteinu) passes in its final Knesset reading.
By LAHAV HARKOV
Women whose infants were hospitalized for over two weeks have the right to an extended pregnancy leave, after a bill proposed by MK Orly Levy-Abecassis (Israel Beiteinu) passed in its final Knesset reading on Monday.According to the new law, pregnancy leave is extended as long as the baby was hospitalized, so that if the infant remained in the hospital for six weeks, the mother will receive six weeks’ salary. The maximum extension is 10 weeks.Previously, the maximum extension for pregnancy leave due to hospitalization was eight weeks, and the leave did not equal the hospitalization time.All of the mothers’ rights in her place of employment will be kept intact, except for those having to do with seniority and allocations of pension funds.According to Knesset Labor, Welfare and Health Committee chairman Haim Katz (Likud), the new law will allow parents of prematurely-born infants to concentrate on their baby and invest more time in taking care of them.The law passed with 13 in favor and none opposed.