Family Responsibilities
Paternity Leave
There was no provision in the Zambian law on paternity leave earlier. The Employment Code Act of 2019 has clear provisions on paternity leave. A male employee, having at least one year of service prior to the start of paternity leave, is entitled to at least 5 continuous working days of paternity leave. The said employee must be the father of the child; the employee has submitted a birth record of the child to the employer; and the leave is taken within 7 days of the birth of a child.
Source: §46 of the Employment Code Act, 2019
Parental Leave
There is no provision in the law on paid or unpaid parental leave.
Flexible Work Option for Parents / Work-Life Balance
No provisions could be located in the law supporting work-life balance for parents or workers with family responsibilities. In line with the Employment Code Act of 2019, a female worker is entitled to one day’s absence from work each month without having to produce a medical certificate or give a reason to the employer. This is referred to as Mother’s Day in the law.
Source: §47 of the Employment Code Act, 2019
Special Leaves
An employee is entitled to paid compassionate leave for days in case they lose a spouse, parent, child or dependent or any other valid reason.
A female employee is entitled to a day off each month without the need to provide a medical certificate or give a reason to the employer.
Also, an employer can send an employee on forced leave, provided that these leaves are paid. The Minister prescribe the circumstances under which an employee is required to be sent on forced leave.
Source: §39, 47, 48 of the Employment Code Act, 2019
Regulations on Family Responsibilities
- Constitution of the Republic of Zambia, 2016/Draft Bill of Rights 2016
- Employment Code Act, 2019
