Demòcrates Reject Fast-Track on Paternity Leave Equalisation

The Demòcrates parliamentary group has rejected opposition calls to speed up paternity leave equalisation, sticking to the government's gradual timeline reaching 40 weeks total by 2033 for biological parents. Their amendments to the bill—signed by consellera Meritxell Alcobé—also extend the same progressive scale to adoption and fostering leave, raising it from the original 38-week cap to match biological parents fully.

The amendments close the period for changes to the projecte de llei per al foment de la igualtat de tracte i d’oportunitats entre dones i homes en l’àmbit laboral. Opposition parties pushed for faster alignment of the current 27 weeks for mothers with four weeks for fathers, but Demòcrates upheld the original pace. For adoption and fostering, the provisions now cover single adopters or fosterers, as well as couples, who can take leave simultaneously or one after the other in continuous blocks without exceeding the total—apart from two mandatory simultaneous weeks right after administrative formalisation. The leave period starts once adoption or fostering is officially confirmed.

Parents, whether biological, adoptive, or fostering, must notify employers and the CASS social security agency at least one month in advance to allow business adjustments. The group also proposes renaming the bill the projecte de llei per al foment de la corresponsabilitat familiar i la igualtat de tracte i d’oportunitats entre dones i homes.

The amendments further equalise economic benefits during leave. For fostering families, the right to payment begins on the first day of rest or the child's effective arrival, matching the leave duration for both salaried workers and the self-employed.

Demòcrates emphasise steady rollout and fiscal prudence. The bill now heads to committee for discussion. Annual step-up details and budget impacts are not yet specified.