Ley 5508/15 - Lactancia Materna. Paraguay
Legislation on Maternal and Paternal Leave
Overview of Law 5.508
- The recently promulgated Law 5.508 aims to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding.
- It introduces a new maternity leave period of 18 weeks for mothers and two weeks for fathers post-delivery.
Financial Implications
- Employers must require a medical certificate from employees regarding their pregnancy status, verified by the relevant health authorities.
- The law establishes a fixed six-month breastfeeding period, allowing for 90 minutes daily for nursing, separate from the maternity leave.
- This legislation is expected to cost the social security system approximately $20 million annually.
Labor Market Impact
- There are concerns that this extended leave may lead to reduced hiring of women in childbearing age due to perceived long-term implications for employers.