Childbirth leave and additional childbirth leave

Childbirth leave

Partners of a pregnant woman are entitled to paid childbirth leave of one time their weekly working hours. The leave does not have to be taken consecutively and may also be spread over several daily instalments, as long as it is taken within four weeks after the birth of the child. After you have received your manager’s approval, you can request this leave using the Special leave self-service option; under ‘Type of leave’ select ‘Birth leave’.  

Note: you can only start the childbirth leave on the day áfter the child's birth. You can register emergency leave for the day of the birth itself (if this is a working day).

Additional childbirth leave

Partners of women who have recently given birth are also entitled to additional childbirth leave. This leave is for a maximum of five weeks (five times your weekly working hours) and can be taken within six months after the birth, allowing you, your partner and your baby to spend more time together in the first months after the birth. The condition for taking additional childbirth leave is that you must first take the regular childbirth leave of one week (one time your weekly working hours). 

This additional childbirth leave is paid for employees in scale 11, number 11 and lower. During your additional childbirth leave, UWV will compensate VU Amsterdam up to 70% of your daily wage, including 8% holiday allowance (up to a maximum of 70% of the maximum daily wage). VU Amsterdam will supplement this up to 100% of your salary (i.e. excluding additional allowances). Your pension and holiday accrual will continue during this leave, with the normal breakdown of the contribution between yourself and the university. For employees above scale 11, number 11, part of the salary will be deducted. 

Additional childbirth leave conditions: 

• You are an employee of VU Amsterdam.
• You are a partner of the child’s mother and one of the following situations applies:
  • you are the spouse or civil partner of, or live together with, the child’s mother or the parent of the child you acknowledge; 
  • you have acknowledged the child;
  • you live together with the mother of the child.
• The leave starts after the regular paternity leave of one week has been taken.
• The leave lasts one to five weeks.
• The leave must be taken in blocks of whole weeks.
• The leave can be spread over a period of up to six months after the birth.
• The leave also applies if a child is stillborn.
• The leave does not apply when a child has been adopted (see section Adoption and foster care leave).
• If you receive a statutory sickness benefit (WIA or Ziektewet), leave is possible for the part that you are employed by VU Amsterdam.

How do you apply for additional childbirth leave? 

You can apply for additional childbirth leave by completing the Additional childbirth leave application form (pdf, only in Dutch) and emailing it to the HR Service Desk.

• State the child’s date of birth and the number of weeks you want to take leave (1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 weeks) and the starting date.
• You must also declare that you will first take the regular paternity leave of one week.
• Discuss your wish to take additional childbirth leave with your manager at least four weeks in advance and approximately when you wish to take leave.
  • An exception is only possible if you are unable to make the request four weeks in advance, for example in the case of a premature birth.
  • Your manager may make changes to the the desired use of the leave (in consultation with yourself) if there are compelling operational or business interests.

VU Amsterdam can only submit an application form for additional childbirth leave to UWV once on your behalf, so carefully consider in advance how many additional childbirth leave weeks to request (1, 2, 3, 4 or 5).

Various types of leave are available for births of children. Partners of new mothers can request the following types of leave: 

1. Childbirth leave
2. Additional childbirth leave
3. Partially paid parental leave of 13 times your weekly working hours
4. Unpaid parental leave of 13 or 26 times your weekly working hours

For technical reasons, it is not possible to use more than one type of leave at the same time (e.g. additional childbirth leave combined with parental leave).