Ghana is planning to implement paternity leave as part of a series of labor reforms set for the year 2024. The Finance Minister, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, announced this during his mid-year budget review presentation to Parliament on Tuesday, July 23. The government, in collaboration with its social partners, has developed a draft Labour Bill, 2024 to strengthen labor administration and regulate the world of work.
Key reforms proposed include introducing paternity leave, extending maternity leave, and improving labor migration governance and employment coordination. Dr. Adam expressed the government’s commitment to enhancing worker rights and benefits, and he expects the Labour Law to be enacted before the end of the year.
According to the draft Labour Bill, 2024, male workers can apply for paternity leave within three months of their wife’s or surrogate’s childbirth, or following the adoption of a child under one year old. To qualify, employees must provide proof of birth or adoption to their employer. Once approved, the employer must grant a minimum of five days of paternity leave, starting from the specified date in the application. However, a worker cannot be granted more than one paternity leave within a 24-month period.
The draft bill also outlines improvements to maternity leave provisions. A female worker, after presenting a medical certificate indicating her expected delivery date, will be entitled to at least 14 weeks of maternity leave, in addition to any annual leave entitlement. This period can be extended by at least two additional weeks in cases of abnormal confinement or multiple births.
Moreover, female workers are entitled to full remuneration and benefits during maternity leave and protected from dismissal due to their absence on maternity grounds.
The proposed legislation also includes provisions for additional leave for pregnant workers experiencing pregnancy-related illnesses, as certified by a medical practitioner. In cases of stillbirth or the loss of a baby during the maternity leave period, the female worker can continue with or proceed on maternity leave with the possibility of additional leave as certified by a medical practitioner.
Additionally, nursing mothers will be entitled to interrupt their work for an hour during working hours to nurse their babies, with this interruption considered as working hours and compensated accordingly.
