[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"page:en-za\u002Fwork-in-south-africa\u002Flabour-law\u002Ffamily-responsibilities":3},{"id":4,"slug":5,"title":6,"short_title":7,"intro_text":8,"meta_description":8,"seo_title":8,"path":9,"content_type":10,"locale":11,"go_live_at":7,"first_published_at":12,"page_created_at":13,"published_at":12,"edit_url":14,"breadcrumbs":15,"seo":26,"rendered":35,"description":36,"body":37,"body_blocks":38,"call_to_action":39,"owner":46,"authors":54,"show_related_pages":56,"related_pages":57,"related_sites":151,"in_subsite":56,"contact_page_url":7,"banner_message":152},1082,"family-responsibilities","Family Responsibilities",null,"","\u002Fen-za\u002Fwork-in-south-africa\u002Flabour-law\u002Ffamily-responsibilities","labourlaw.labourlawpage","en_ZA","2025-07-28T16:38:09.731111+00:00","2026-04-08T15:15:47.690433+00:00","\u002Fcms\u002Fpages\u002F1082\u002Fedit\u002F",[16,19,22,25],{"title":17,"slug":18},"South Africa","en-za",{"title":20,"slug":21},"Work in South Africa","work-in-south-africa",{"title":23,"slug":24},"Labour Law","labour-law",{"title":6,"slug":5},{"title":27,"description":8,"image":28,"canonical":29,"robots":30,"og_type":31,"twitter_card":32,"locale":18,"created_at":33,"last_modified_at":34},"Paternity Leave, Family Leave - South Africa","https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002FSocial_media_preview_image_-_2025.2e16d0ba.fill-1200x630.png","https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fen-za\u002Fwork-in-south-africa\u002Flabour-law\u002Ffamily-responsibilities\u002F","index, follow","website","summary_large_image","2025-07-28T18:38:09.731111+02:00","2026-04-08T17:15:47.904315+02:00","\u003Cdiv class=\"cobra-ll-view\">\n\n  \n\n    \n    \n  \n  \u003Ch1>Family Responsibilities\u003C\u002Fh1>\n  \u003Cspan class=\"lastupdated\">This page was last updated on:\n      2026-04-21\u003C\u002Fspan>\n\n  \n\n    \n  \n    \n      \n        \n          \n    \n    \n    \n        \u003Cdiv class=\"teaserItem\">\n          \u003Ch2>Paternity Leave\u003C\u002Fh2>\n          \u003Cp>In line with a 2018 amendment in BCEA, employees are entitled to a 10-day paid paternity leave on the birth of a child (paid through the Unemployment Insurance Fund). An adoptive parent is also entitled to a paternity leave of 10 days from the date the adoption order is granted or that a child is placed in the care of a prospective adoptive parent by a competent court, pending the finalisation of an adoption order in respect of that child, whichever date occurs first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A worker is required to notify the employer in writing, unless the employee is unable to do so, of the date on which the employee plans to start parental leave; and return to work after parental leave. Such notification must be given at least one month before the employee’s child is expected to be born; or the adoption date (or the adoption order date) or if it is not reasonably practicable to do so, as soon as is reasonably practicable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The paternity benefit must be paid at a rate of 66% of the earnings of the beneficiary at the date of application, subject to the maximum income threshold set in the Unemployment Insurance Act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Source: §25Aof the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997 (last amended in 2020); §12 of the Unemployment Insurance Act 2001 (last amended in 2020)\u003C\u002Fp>\n        \u003C\u002Fdiv>\n    \n\n\n        \n      \n        \n          \n    \n    \n    \n        \u003Cdiv class=\"teaserItem\">\n          \u003Ch2>Parental Leave\u003C\u002Fh2>\n          \u003Cp>No provisions could be located in the law supporting parental leave for new parents after exhaustion of maternity leave.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n        \u003C\u002Fdiv>\n    \n\n\n        \n      \n        \n          \n    \n    \n    \n        \u003Cdiv class=\"teaserItem\">\n          \u003Ch2>Flexible Work Option for Parents \u002F Work-Life Balance\u003C\u002Fh2>\n          \u003Cp>In accordance with the BCEA, employees who have worked for over four months or work for at least four days a week are entitled to three days of paid leave per annual cycle for a sick child or the death of a close family member. Employers must pay the usual wage on the regular payday and may request reasonable proof. Leave can be taken as a full or partial day, but does not carry over to the next cycle. A collective agreement may adjust the number of days and conditions for leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Source: §27 of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997 (last amended in 2020)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Special Leaves:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In accordance with the BCEA, employees who have worked for over four months or work for at least four days a week are entitled to three days of paid leave per annual cycle for a sick child or the death of a close family member.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Labour Relations Act grants an employee who is a trade union office-bearer the right to reasonable leave during work hours to perform union duties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Source\u003C\u002Fstrong>: §25B, C & 27 of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997 (last amended in 2020); §15 of the Labour Relations Act No. 66 of 1995 (last amended in 2018)\u003C\u002Fp>\n        \u003C\u002Fdiv>\n    \n\n\n        \n      \n        \n          \n    \n    \n    \n        \n    \n\n\n        \n      \n    \n\n    \n      \n    \n      \u003Cdiv class=\"regulations\">\n        \u003Ch2>Regulations on Family Responsibilities\u003C\u002Fh2>\n        \u003Cul>\n          \u003Cli>\n            Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, last amended in 2012\n          \u003C\u002Fli>\n          \u003Cli>\n            Occupational Health & Safety Act, 1993\n          \u003C\u002Fli>\n        \u003C\u002Ful>\n      \u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n    \n\n    \n      \n    \n    \u003Cdiv class=\"related\">\n      \u003Ch2>Related Items\u003C\u002Fh2>\n      \n          _ll_maternity_URL_\n      \n          _ll_sickleave_URL_\n      \n          _ll_leave_URL_\n      \n          _CBA_FOLDER_URL_\n      \n    \u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n    \n\n  \n\n    \n    \n\n  \n\n  \n  \n\n  \n    \u003Cstyle>\n\n      h1, h2, h3 {\n      font-weight: bold;\n      margin-top: 20px;\n      margin-bottom: 10px;\n      }\n      \n      .related a {\n        display:block;\n        border: 1px solid transparent;\n      }\n\n      ul ol, ol ol, ol ul {\n      font-size: 100%;\n      }\n\n    \u003C\u002Fstyle>\n\n  \n\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>","Your rights on paternity leave and\u002For family leave in South Africa – .","\u003Cdiv>\n\n\u003Cspan>This page was last updated on:\n      2026-04-21\u003C\u002Fspan>\n\u003Cdiv>\n\u003Ch2>Paternity Leave\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>In line with a 2018 amendment in BCEA, employees are entitled to a 10-day paid paternity leave on the birth of a child (paid through the Unemployment Insurance Fund). An adoptive parent is also entitled to a paternity leave of 10 days from the date the adoption order is granted or that a child is placed in the care of a prospective adoptive parent by a competent court, pending the finalisation of an adoption order in respect of that child, whichever date occurs first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A worker is required to notify the employer in writing, unless the employee is unable to do so, of the date on which the employee plans to start parental leave; and return to work after parental leave. Such notification must be given at least one month before the employee’s child is expected to be born; or the adoption date (or the adoption order date) or if it is not reasonably practicable to do so, as soon as is reasonably practicable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The paternity benefit must be paid at a rate of 66% of the earnings of the beneficiary at the date of application, subject to the maximum income threshold set in the Unemployment Insurance Act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Source: §25Aof the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997 (last amended in 2020); §12 of the Unemployment Insurance Act 2001 (last amended in 2020)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cdiv>\n\u003Ch2>Parental Leave\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>No provisions could be located in the law supporting parental leave for new parents after exhaustion of maternity leave.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cdiv>\n\u003Ch2>Flexible Work Option for Parents \u002F Work-Life Balance\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>In accordance with the BCEA, employees who have worked for over four months or work for at least four days a week are entitled to three days of paid leave per annual cycle for a sick child or the death of a close family member. Employers must pay the usual wage on the regular payday and may request reasonable proof. Leave can be taken as a full or partial day, but does not carry over to the next cycle. A collective agreement may adjust the number of days and conditions for leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Source: §27 of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997 (last amended in 2020)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Special Leaves:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In accordance with the BCEA, employees who have worked for over four months or work for at least four days a week are entitled to three days of paid leave per annual cycle for a sick child or the death of a close family member.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Labour Relations Act grants an employee who is a trade union office-bearer the right to reasonable leave during work hours to perform union duties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Source\u003C\u002Fstrong>: §25B, C & 27 of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997 (last amended in 2020); §15 of the Labour Relations Act No. 66 of 1995 (last amended in 2018)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cdiv>\n\u003Ch2>Regulations on Family Responsibilities\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>\n            Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, last amended in 2012\n          \u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\n            Occupational Health & Safety Act, 1993\n          \u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cdiv>\n\u003Ch2>Related Items\u003C\u002Fh2>\n      \n          \u003Ca href='\u002Fen-za\u002Fwork-in-south-africa\u002Flabour-law\u002Fmaternity-and-work'>Maternity and Work\u003C\u002Fa>\n      \n          \u003Ca href='\u002Fen-za\u002Fwork-in-south-africa\u002Flabour-law\u002Fsick-leave'>Sick Leave\u003C\u002Fa>\n      \n          \u003Ca href='\u002Fen-za\u002Fwork-in-south-africa\u002Flabour-law\u002Fannual-leave-and-holidays'>Annual Leave and Holidays\u003C\u002Fa>\n      \n          \u003Ca href='\u002Fen-za\u002Fwork-in-south-africa\u002Fcollective-bargaining-agreement\u002F'>Collective Bargaining Agreement\u003C\u002Fa>\n      \n    \u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cstyle>\n\n      h1, h2, h3 {\n      font-weight: bold;\n      margin-top: 20px;\n      margin-bottom: 10px;\n      }\n      \n      .related a {\n        display:block;\n        border: 1px solid transparent;\n      }\n\n      ul ol, ol ol, ol ul {\n      font-size: 100%;\n      }\n\n    \u003C\u002Fstyle>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>",[],{"text":40,"link":41},"Contact Us",{"title":40,"url":42,"description":40,"rel":43,"type":44,"id":45},"\u002Fabout\u002Fcontact","follow","internal",24590,{"id":47,"first_name":48,"last_name":49,"email":50,"image":51,"function":52,"external":53},2,"Gunjan","Pandya","gunjanpandya@wageindicator.org","https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002FGunjan-Pandya-ED_PhPZSyI.width-400.jpg","IT Specialist and Global Webmaster",false,[55],{"id":47,"first_name":48,"last_name":49,"email":50,"image":51,"function":52,"external":53},true,[58,62,66,70,74,78,82,83,87,91,95,99,103,107,111,115,119,123,127,131,135,139,143,147],{"id":59,"short_title":60,"title":23,"url":61},1075,"Labour Laws in South Africa","\u002Fen-za\u002Fwork-in-south-africa\u002Flabour-law",{"id":63,"short_title":7,"title":64,"url":65},1077,"Work and Wages","\u002Fen-za\u002Fwork-in-south-africa\u002Flabour-law\u002Fwork-and-wages",{"id":67,"short_title":7,"title":68,"url":69},1078,"Compensation and Working Time","\u002Fen-za\u002Fwork-in-south-africa\u002Flabour-law\u002Fcompensation-and-working-time",{"id":71,"short_title":7,"title":72,"url":73},1079,"Annual Leave and Holidays","\u002Fen-za\u002Fwork-in-south-africa\u002Flabour-law\u002Fannual-leave-and-holidays",{"id":75,"short_title":7,"title":76,"url":77},1080,"Contracts and Dismissals","\u002Fen-za\u002Fwork-in-south-africa\u002Flabour-law\u002Fcontracts-and-dismissals",{"id":79,"short_title":7,"title":80,"url":81},1081,"Notice and Severance","\u002Fen-za\u002Fwork-in-south-africa\u002Flabour-law\u002Fcontracts-and-dismissals\u002Fnotice-and-severance",{"id":4,"short_title":7,"title":6,"url":9},{"id":84,"short_title":7,"title":85,"url":86},1083,"Maternity and Work","\u002Fen-za\u002Fwork-in-south-africa\u002Flabour-law\u002Fmaternity-and-work",{"id":88,"short_title":7,"title":89,"url":90},1084,"Job Protection","\u002Fen-za\u002Fwork-in-south-africa\u002Flabour-law\u002Fmaternity-and-work\u002Fjob-protection",{"id":92,"short_title":7,"title":93,"url":94},1085,"Breastfeeding","\u002Fen-za\u002Fwork-in-south-africa\u002Flabour-law\u002Fmaternity-and-work\u002Fbreastfeeding",{"id":96,"short_title":7,"title":97,"url":98},5076,"FAQ - Maternity Leave in South Africa","\u002Fen-za\u002Fwork-in-south-africa\u002Flabour-law\u002Fmaternity-and-work\u002Ffaq-maternity-leave-in-south-africa",{"id":100,"short_title":7,"title":101,"url":102},5078,"Maternity and Work Worldwide","\u002Fen-za\u002Fwork-in-south-africa\u002Flabour-law\u002Fmaternity-and-work\u002Fmaternity-and-work-worldwide",{"id":104,"short_title":7,"title":105,"url":106},1086,"Health and Safety","\u002Fen-za\u002Fwork-in-south-africa\u002Flabour-law\u002Fhealth-and-safety",{"id":108,"short_title":7,"title":109,"url":110},1087,"Sick Leave","\u002Fen-za\u002Fwork-in-south-africa\u002Flabour-law\u002Fsick-leave",{"id":112,"short_title":7,"title":113,"url":114},1088,"Work Injury Benefits","\u002Fen-za\u002Fwork-in-south-africa\u002Flabour-law\u002Fsick-leave\u002Fwork-injury-benefits",{"id":116,"short_title":7,"title":117,"url":118},1089,"Social Security","\u002Fen-za\u002Fwork-in-south-africa\u002Flabour-law\u002Fsocial-security",{"id":120,"short_title":7,"title":121,"url":122},1090,"Unemployment Benefits","\u002Fen-za\u002Fwork-in-south-africa\u002Flabour-law\u002Fsocial-security\u002Funemployment-benefits",{"id":124,"short_title":7,"title":125,"url":126},1091,"Fair Treatment","\u002Fen-za\u002Fwork-in-south-africa\u002Flabour-law\u002Ffair-treatment",{"id":128,"short_title":7,"title":129,"url":130},1092,"Sexual Harassment","\u002Fen-za\u002Fwork-in-south-africa\u002Flabour-law\u002Ffair-treatment\u002Fsexual-harassment",{"id":132,"short_title":7,"title":133,"url":134},5080,"All About Sexual Harassment - 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Same organisation, same information, new look!\u003C\u002Fp>"]