Shortening Parental Leave: An Investment in Czechia’s Future

BPS Podcast on the topic of Shortening Parental Leave in the Czech Republic, featuring Petra Ondrušová and Klára Kalíšková.

Parental leave in Czechia is among the longest in Europe. While it may seem like an advantage at first glance, its length brings a number of complications – not only for parents, but also for companies and society as a whole.

While other countries realized years ago that shorter, well-designed parental leave with a focus on shared caregiving between parents brings tangible benefits, Czechia remains stuck in the past. Why is that, and what could help? We explore this in our podcast.

Shared Care: Aspirations vs. Reality

More and more mothers want to return to work earlier – not only for financial reasons, but also for professional development and to stay connected to the workplace. At the same time, more fathers want to spend more time with their children. But the Czech system doesn’t make it easy for them.

Today's parental allowance setup clearly favors the lower earner staying home – and that’s usually the woman. In most cases, women stay home for up to three years. Their return to work is then more difficult, and the gender pay gap grows.

Experiences from countries like Germany and Sweden show that the system can be structured differently. For example, their “non-transferable portion” of parental leave – which is lost if not used by the second parent – has significantly increased the number of men participating in caregiving. In some German regions, up to 50% of fathers take it. Sweden works similarly and can serve as great inspiration.

Parental Leave Is Not Just a Personal Choice

The way the state designs parental leave policies has far-reaching consequences. It’s not just about personal choices of individual families. Political (un)willingness to change parental leave settings reflects society’s view on gender roles at home and at work – and in Czechia, that view is changing very slowly.

In the 1990s, long parental leave was encouraged as a way to reduce unemployment and to “motivate” women to stay at home as long as possible. This only reinforced the already strong cultural norm that a “good mother” should stay home with the child. A 2021 study by Klára Kalíšková and others (Bičáková, Kalíšková, Zapletalová) highlighted the negative impact of multi-year parental leave on children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. It showed that long-term maternal absence from the labor market hurts not just the mother’s career and income, but also her children's education and job prospects – especially daughters. This contributes to the long-term and structural disadvantage of women.

Thankfully, younger generations are changing their attitudes. According to a 2023 CVVM survey, 77% of Czechs believe childcare should be shared by both parents. Around the year 2000, it was only about 50%.

Why Isn’t Change Happening?

There are many reasons. But real societal change requires greater political will to introduce family policy reforms.

While the issue feels personal for many, we are at a point where change is necessary. At the very least, we need to start a serious debate – based on data, facts, and research – about short- and long-term changes. Sharing best practices from abroad and setting a clear vision for Czechia’s future is essential. Stronger connections between family and labor policy, better public-private cooperation, and more accessible childcare could all drive change.

Change Is Possible – and Already Happening

Some companies are already showing that change is not only possible but underway. Petra Ondrušová, Chief Sustainability Officer at Česká spořitelna, a.s., and Diversity Charter Ambassador, shares specific policies and practices that have proven effective. Currently, 10% of their employees (about 1,000 people) are on parental leave – a significant group.

Flexible hours and an individual approach have proven very successful. Česká spořitelna also operates an in-house kindergarten, which remains highly sought after. The company supports managers by informing them about available measures and benefits and how to apply them in team management. Open communication helps employees navigate the available options.

Česká spořitelna is also successful in offering part-time contracts – currently at 10%, almost double the Czech average. As Petra Ondrušová notes: “A part-time contract doesn’t have to mean half-time. Often, it’s just one or two hours less per day. The most common options are 0.9 or 0.8 FTE. And importantly – it’s usually temporary, until the child grows a bit.”

“This helps parents return to work sooner, the company retains experienced staff, and it strengthens our employer brand – even in regional locations,” adds Petra Ondrušová.

It’s Not Just About Shortening – the Whole System Needs Reform

Reforming parental leave requires a holistic approach. It’s not enough to shorten it – we must also ensure preschool availability, encourage shared care, motivate fathers to participate more, and support flexible jobs outside big cities.

The non-transferable part of parental leave could be a strong incentive. It would help equalize caregiving, reduce the gender pay gap, and break long-standing stereotypes.

In Conclusion

Shortening parental leave isn’t about taking away time with children. It’s about creating conditions that allow both parents to share care, so women don’t have to give up their careers – and so companies can fully harness their employees’ potential.

Change is possible. We see it abroad – and thanks to responsible companies, we’re starting to see it here too. Perhaps now is the right time to say it openly: long parental leave is not a solution for the 21st century. It’s time to rethink it – wisely, fairly, and with a vision for the future.

This podcast topic is based on the 2025 conference “Mothers and Fathers Welcome – Parents at Work,” organized by Business for Society in partnership with Česká spořitelna, a.s., Heimstaden Czech, s.r.o., and the Swedish Embassy in the Czech Republic.

We were among the first to open a serious debate on systemic reform of parental leave in Czechia, including an economic analysis by economist Petr Bartoň.

Find detailed information, the economic analysis, and other presentations here: Economic analysis and presentations; Article